According to data published in the July issue of Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, the use of the viral hepatitis B vaccine is effective and safe in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

It is assumed that vaccination against hepatitis B, tetanus and rubella exacerbates rheumatoid arthritis, which reminds us of the safety of the vaccine in patients with this disease.

Scientists at Tel Aviv University have conducted a study to assess the safety of vaccination with the hepatitis B recombinant DNA vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the study assessed the severity of the immune response to vaccination.

The study involved 44 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The first group, 22 people, received three doses of the vaccine (the second and third doses of the vaccine were administered one and six months after the initial vaccination). The second, a control group of patients, was not vaccinated. The two groups of patients were comparable in age and sex of the patients.

The following clinical symptoms were assessed in patients - the presence of daytime pain, the duration of morning stiffness in the joints, the number of painful joints, and joints showing signs of inflammation. In addition, the ESR and the reactive protein C were evaluated at each visit.

Following laboratory and clinical studies, it was found that there was no statistically significant difference between the control group and the study group according to the main parameters evaluated (p = 0.76 for daytime pain, p = 0.1 for morning stiffness of the joints, p = 0, 24 and p = 0.3 - the number of painful joints and joints showing signs of inflammation, p = 0, 08 for reactive protein C and p = 0.12 for ESR).

Following vaccination, a pronounced immune response was observed in 15 of 22 patients (68%). The antibody level against HBsAg after seven months was 10 IU / L. An insufficient immune response has been associated with elderly patients and severe daytime pain syndrome.

Many doctors are reluctant to vaccinate patients with autoimmune diseases, believing that this vaccination is not vital and can cause an exacerbation of the disease. This opinion is wrong and if patients with rheumatoid arthritis have indications, vaccination against viral hepatitis B is necessary.