Caution! - anti rheumatic drug (Sulfasalazine) reduce immunisation

[Mingus]

<dl class="PubmedArticle" id="dlPubmedArticle16984937"><dt class="head" id="head16984937">In that recent study, an anti rheumatic drug reduce significatly the immunisation given by a vaccine.
</dt><dt class="head" id="head16984937">Theses results suggest that anyone who taking this medecine should stop using if they want to be efficiently vaccinated.</dt></dl>In any uses of it, the fact that this drug is immunosupressive is not a good news.

Ming
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<dl class="PubmedArticle" id="dlPubmedArticle16984937"><dt class="head" id="head16984937">
</dt><dt class="head" id="head16984937">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum

</dt><dt class="head" id="head16984937">1: Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 Sep 19; [Epub ahead of print]<script language="JavaScript1.2"> <!-- var PopUpMenu2_LocalConfig_jsmenu3Config = [ ["ShowCloseIcon","yes"], ["Help","window.open('/entrez/query/static/popup.html','Links_Help','resizable=no,scrollbars= yes,toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=n o,menubar=no,copyhistory=no,alwaysRaised=no,depend =no,width=400,height=500');"], ["TitleText"," Links "] ] var jsmenu3Config = [ ["UseLocalConfig","jsmenu3Config","",""] ] //--> </script> <script language="JavaScript1.2"> <!-- var Menu16984937 = [ ["UseLocalConfig","jsmenu3Config","",""], ["Books","window.top.location='http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&cmd=Retrieve& db=pubmed&list_uids=16984937&dopt=Books'","",""] ] //--> </script> Links
</dt><dd class="abstract" id="abstract16984937">Sulphasalazine inhibits both gut-associated and systemic antigen specific immune responses.

• Trollmo C,
• Gudmundsson S,
• Feltelius N,
• Rogberg S,
• Smedegard G,
• Klareskog L.

Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of the anti rheumatic drug sulphasalazine (SASP) on the immune system by analyzing systemic and gut-associated immune responses. METHODS: Twenty-three healthy volunteers were treated with either SASP or placebo for 5 weeks in a double blind fashion, and immunised 2 weeks after initiation of treatment. Specific immune responses were triggered by subcutaneous immunization with tetanus toxoid and by peroral immunization with inactivated influenza vaccine. The effects of treatment on specific immunity to tetanus and influenza were evaluated by ELISPOT quantifying numbers of circulating specific and total antibody producing cells (spot forming cells, SFC) at 6, 8 and 10 days after immunisation. RESULTS: An immunosuppressive effect of SASP on the systemic immune response was observed with a decrease in total number of IgG-SFC, IgG anti-tetanus SFC and IgG anti-tetanus antibody levels in serum. SASP also exerted an immunosuppressive effect on the mucosa- associated immune system as seen from its downregulating effect on total number of circulating IgA SFC. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate firstly that SASP exerts an immunosuppressive effect on defined immune responses to immunization in vivo, and secondly, that both mucosa-associated and systemic immunity are affected by SASP treatment.
PMID: 16984937 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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[Mingus]

Re: anti rheumatic drug reduce immunisation

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...r/a682204.html

Why is this medication prescribed?

Sulfasalazine is used to treat bowel inflammation, diarrhea (stool frequency), rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain in patients with ulcerative colitis, a condition in which the bowel is inflamed. Sulfasalazine delayed-release (Azulfidine EN-tabs) is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children whose disease has not responded well to other medications. Sulfasalazine is in a class of medications called anti-inflammatory drugs. It works by reducing inflammation (swelling) inside the body.

Other uses for this medicine Sulfasalazine is also used to treat bowel inflammation, diarrhea (stool frequency), rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain in Crohn's disease. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

So knowing this latest study results, despite the anti-inflammatory property of that drug, his immunosupressive effect on antibody levels and on mucosal immunity is of concern.

[wetDirt]

Immunization and autoimmune disease...

Sometimes the problem isn't the medication, it's the disease itself. This abstract was so short I clipped the whole thing:
Safety and efficacy of influenza vaccination in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with quiescent disease.

Holvast A, Huckriede A, Wilschut J, Horst G, De Vries JJ, Benne CA, Kallenberg CG, Bijl M.

Department of Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, Netherlands. B.Holvast@int.umcg.nl

OBJECTIVE: to assess the safety and efficacy of influenza vaccination in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to evaluate the influence of immunosuppressive drugs on the immune response. METHODS: SLE patients (n=56) and healthy controls (n=18) were studied. All patients had quiescent disease (SLE disease activity index<or=5). Four patient groups were defined on the basis of their drug use: (1) no drug treatment; (2) hydroxychloroquine treatment; (3) azathioprine treatment; (4) prednisone treatment. Participants received trivalent influenza subunit vaccine during October/November 2003. Disease activity scores and side effects were recorded. Antibody titres against influenza virus were measured before and 30 days after vaccination using the haemagglutination inhibition assay. RESULTS: Influenza vaccination did not result in changes in disease activity and was well tolerated. SLE patients had fewer seroconversions or fourfold titre rises for A/H1N1 (p<0.001) and A/H3N2 (p<0.001) than healthy controls, while for B/Hong Kong the difference was of borderline significance (p=0.051). With regard to immunosuppressive treatment, fewer SLE patients using azathioprine developed fourfold titre rises against A/H3N2 (p=0.041), and fewer achieved titres of >or=40 against A/H3N2 (p=0.030) compared with the other patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza vaccination in SLE patients with quiescent disease is safe but is less effective than in controls. Use of azathioprine was associated with a trend to decreased vaccination efficacy.
PMID: 16322083 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

You would think that an overactive immune system would react well to immunization, but oddly, it doesn't.