Rheumatic disorders developed after hepatitis B vaccination.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 1999 Oct;38(10):978-83.
Maillefert JF, Sibilia J, Toussirot E, Vignon E, Eschard JP, Lorcerie B,
Juvin R, Parchin-Geneste N, Piroth C, Wendling D, Kuntz JL, Tavernier C,
Gaudin P.
Department of Rheumatology, Dijon University Hospital, France.
OBJECTIVE:
To obtain an overview of rheumatic disorders occurring after hepatitis B vaccination. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to rheumatology
departments in nine French hospitals. Criteria for entry were rheumatic complaints of 1 week's duration or more, occurrence during the 2 months
following hepatitis B vaccination, no previously diagnosed rheumatic disease and no other explanation for the complaints.
RESULTS:
Twenty-two patients were included. The observed disorders were as follows: rheumatoid arthritis for six patients; exacerbation of a previously non-diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus for two; post-vaccinal arthritis for five; polyarthralgia-myalgia for four; suspected or biopsy-proved vasculitis for three; miscellaneous for two.
CONCLUSIONS:
Hepatitis B vaccine might be followed by various rheumatic conditions and might trigger the onset of underlying inflammatory or autoimmune rheumatic diseases. However, a causal relationship between
hepatitis B vaccination and the observed rheumatic manifestations cannot be easily established. Further epidemiological studies are needed to establish whether hepatitis B vaccination is associated or not with an incidence of rheumatic disorders higher than normal.
PMID: 10534549 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Reprinted with permission
