VACCINE

Autoimmunity Review • January 2014
A review on the association between
inflammatory myopathies and vaccination
Author information
Stübgen JP.
Department of Neurology
Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital
525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065-4885, USA
pstuebge@med.cornell.edu
Abstract
Several viruses and vaccines are among the environmental factors implicated as triggers
of autoimmune inflammatory myopathies. Case histories report on the onset of
dermatomyositis/polymyositis after immunization with various vaccines of patients
with probable genetic predisposition. However, retrospective and epidemiological
studies failed to ascertain an association between DM/PM and vaccines: no significant
increase in the incidence of DM/PM was reported after large vaccination campaigns.
The risk for vaccine-induced adverse events may be enhanced by adjuvants. Macrophagic
myofasciitis is a novel inflammatory myopathy ascribed to an ongoing local
immune reaction to a vaccine adjuvant. Isolated prospective studies showed that the
administration of unadjuvanted, non-live vaccine to patients with DM/PM caused no
short-term harmful effects to DM/PM immune processes. However, more research is
warranted to clarify the incidence of vaccine-preventable infections, harmful effects
of vaccination, and the influence of any immunomodulating agents on vaccination efficacy.
Vaccination is an important disease prevention tool in modern medicine. This
review does not address risk-benefit or cost-benefit analyses, and does not advocate
the use of specific vaccines or vaccination programs. Despite a great deal of scientific
uncertainty, the concept of a possible causal link between immunization and inflammatory
myopathies should not be totally rejected.
“Macrophagic myofasciitis is a
novel inflammatory myopathy ascribed to an
ongoing local immune reaction to a vaccine adjuvant ...
more research is warranted to clarify the incidence of
vaccine-preventable infections, harmful effects of vaccination,
and the influence of any immunomodulating agents on vaccination efficacy.
Despite a great deal of scientific uncertainty, the concept
of a possible causal link between immunization and inflammatory
myopathies should not be totally rejected.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24001753