Some journal articles from a Medline search relevant
to the
probable association between asthma and vaccines. What
I found
most interesting is that it has been shown
conclusively that
pertussis vaccine directly causes an asthmatic
condition in
mice. You sure don't hear THAT discussed much! Note
that this
search was done several years ago, so it doesn't
include the
latest research, but you'll get the point!
Only the abstracts are included when available,
otherwise
just identifying information for anyone who cares to
look
up the article. I've put "[***]" next to the
articles I
find to be most interesting.
Most of these articles pertain to direct causation of
asthma; I didn't include the line of research
consistent
with the Hygiene Hypothesis which shows that
vaccinated
children and those who do not get measles (not
necessarily
the same children!) are much more likely to suffer
from asthma.
Dave Foster
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JAMA 1994 Aug 24-31;272(8):592-3 Pertussis vaccination
and asthma:
is there a link?
Odent MR, Culpin EE, Kimmel T Comment on: JAMA 1994
Mar
23-30;271(12):929-31
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Allergy 1980 Jun;35(4):291-6 Effect of Bordetella
pertussis vaccination
in mice and the isolated tracheal response to
isoprenaline. [***]
Bartell TE, Busse WW
The administration of Bordetella pertussis vaccine to
mice has been
associated with the development of an impaired
beta-adrenoceptor
responsiveness and in many respects has resembled
human asthma. Trachea
(n = 12) were isolated from Swiss-Webster mice 5 days
following the
intraperitoneal administration of 2 x 10(9) B. pertussis
organisms. The
tracheal smooth muscle response to carbachol was
measured and compared
with that found in trachea from unvaccinated mice (n =
15). The
contractile response was similar in both groups. The
tracheal smooth
muscle relaxant effects of isoproterenol were measured
in these two
groups. The EC50 value for isoprenaline (6.5 x 10(-7)
M) in trachea
from B. pertussis treated mice was significantly (P
< 0.05) greater
than that noted in the control animals (2.3 x 10(-7)
M). These studies
demonstrated that in tracheal smooth muscle isolated
from B. pertussis
vaccinated mice, the relaxant effects of isoprenaline
are impaired.
PMID: 6255813, UI: 81083817
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Agents Actions 1986 Dec;19(5-6):366-7 Disturbance of
mice tracheal
beta-adrenoceptor and cholinergic receptor function by
Bordetella
pertussis and its cell wall components.
Veenendaal GH, Kool DJ, de Wildt DJ, Nijkamp FP
PMID: 2881459, UI: 87152780
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Yale J Biol Med</em> 1968 Apr-Jun;40(5):507-21
Pertussis sensitization
as an animal model for the abnormal bronchial
sensitivity of asthma. [***]
Reed CE PMID: 5673857, UI: 68400428
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Dermatol Clin 1990 Jan;8(1):161-4 Reactions to
thimerosal in hepatitis
B vaccines. [***]
Rietschel RL, Adams RM Department of Dermatology,
Ochsner Clinic,
New Orleans, Louisiana.
Hypersensitivity to thimerosal in vaccines has been
reported to induce
persistent local reactions, urticarial and generalized
exanthematic
eruptions, and, in the case of the hepatitis B
vaccine, urticaria with
asthma. The authors describe two cases of extensive
reactions, one
in a patient who did not form antibodies to the
principal vaccine
antigen. Although not all thimerosal-sensitive
patients develop
adverse reactions to vaccines containing this
material, there is a
potential risk, and the reactions can be very long
lasting.
PMID: 2137393, UI: 90150805
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West J Med 1987 Sep;147(3):341 Asthma and urticaria
after hepatitis
B vaccination.
Lohiya G PMID: 2960084, UI: 88044753
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Science 1997 Jan 3;275(5296):41-2 Asthma: an epidemic
in the absence
of infection?
Cookson WO, Moffatt MF University of Oxford, Nuffield
Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital,
Oxford OX3 9DU,
UK. william.cookson@clinical-medicine.ox.ac.uk
Comment on: Science 1996 Jan 3;275(5296):77-9
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Salud Publica Mex 1974 Sep-Oct;16(5):707-20
Repercussions of
vaccination against measles. [Article in Spanish]
Guerrero EV, Calderon C, Velazquez Franco E PMID:
4456647, UI: 75141084
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J Allergy Clin Immunol 1975 Mar;55(3):152-63 Humoral
and cellular
immunity in asthma. [***]
Grove DI, Burston TO, Wellby ML, Ford RM, Forbes IJ
Parameters of humoral and cellular immunity have been
measured in 91
asthmatic patients. Mean serum levels of IgG and IgE
were raised. IgG
levels were higher in those with a family history of
asthma. IgE
levels were higher in those with a past history of
atopic eczema, but
intrinsic and extrinsic asthma could not be
differentiated on the
basis of IgE levels. Thirteen of 74 patients failed to
respond to
tetanus immunization, while only 1 failed to respond
to Salmonella
typhi H antigen. Tetanus nonresponders had a raised
mean serum IgA
level, reduced spontaneous lymphocyte tritiated
thymidine uptake, and
reduced thymidine uptake in fetal calf serum. Eight of
87 patients
failed to mount delayed hypersensitivity reactions to
a battery of five
intradermal antigens.
The tritiated thymidine uptake of lymphocytes
stimulated with phytohemagglutinin was normal in
autologous serum,
but reduced in fetal calf serum. The data support the
hypothesis that
asthma may be associated with immunodeficiency states.
PMID: 1089697, UI: 75096028
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Harefuah 1987 Jan 15;112(2):70-1 Allergic vasculitis
and bronchial
asthma following influenza vaccination. [Article in Hebrew] [***]
Reizis Z, Frank J, Sikuler E PMID: 3596383, UI:
87248326
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Allerg Immunol (Paris) 1987 Jan;19(1):18-21 Influenza
vaccination
and asthma.
[Article in French] [***]
Migueres J, Sallerin F, Zayani R, Escamilla Service
des Malades
Respiratoires, CHU de Rangueil, Toulouse.
A double investigation was carried out on the
respiratory tolerance
of IV in the asthmatic patient: 1. Retrospective based
on case history
in 87 mature adults (mean age 61 years) previously
vaccinated once or
several times. This showed poor respiratory tolerance
in 21 patients
(24%), as shown by difficulty in breathing (8 cases),
paroxystic
dyspnea (5 cases), an acute episode of asthma (8
cases), occurring soon
after vaccination. 2. Clinical and respiratory
functional prospective
study of bronchial reactivity to carbachol (CBL) and
flow-volume
curves before and after administration of inactivated
polyvalent
vaccine, compared in 8 control subjects, 12 asthmatic
patients, 19
cases of non-spactic chronic obstructive airway
disease, 7 patients
with sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis or operated
bronchial cancer,
investigated immediately before (day 0), 2, 6, 8 or in
some cases 20
or 30 days after IV (D2, D6, D8, D20, D30): 2 of 8
controls showed a
decrease in CBL sensitivity threshold at D2 or D6; 6
of 12 asthmatics
reacted to the vaccine: 2 showed increased CBL
reactivity, 1 lowered
sensitivity threshold, 2 a decrease in the 50% and 25%
flows at D2
and D6, 1 decreased MMFR and distal flows at D2; 4 of
19 cases of
COPD, 1 of 7 cases of tuberculous sequelae showed
various reactions
at D2, D6, D8.
PMID: 3454168, UI: 88293651
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J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1980 Dec;215(3):691-6 Effects of
vaccination
with Haemophilus influenzae on adrenoceptor function
of tracheal and
parenchymal strips.
Schreurs AJ, Terpstra GK, Raaijmakers JA, Nijkamp FP
Haemophilus influenzae is a bacterium that can be
isolated from the
deeper airways of asthmatic patients. We investigated
the effect
of vaccination with H. influenzae on alpha and beta
adrenoceptor
function in guinea-pig tracheal spirals and lung
parenchymal
strips. The tracheal spirals from H. influenzae-vaccinated animals
showed significantly less relaxation to isoproterenol
as compared to
controls, independent of whether the trachea was
maximally contracted
with carbachol or only exhibited an intrinsic tone.
Furthermore, an
increased contractile response to carbachol was
observed in these
spirals. To isoproterenol in the presence of a beta-2
adrenergic
antagonist (H35/25), or to salbutamol alone, the
tracheal preparations
from H. influenzae-vaccinated animals also showed a
decreased
relaxation. These results suggest involvement of both
beta-1 and
beta-2 subtype adrenoceptors. On the other hand, lung
parenchymal
strips from vaccinated guinea-pigs relaxed significntly
more to these
drugs. This effect was not influenced by H35/25 but
could be inhibited
by phenoxybenzamine. Histamine-induced contraction did
not differ
between the groups. These results indicated that H.
influenzae causes
a partial blockade of the beta adrenoceptors in
tracheal spirals and,
therefore, may have important implications in
asthmatic bronchitis. In
contrast, parenchymal lung strips of the H.
influenzae-pretreated
group showed an increased relaxation.
PMID: 6969303, UI: 81071818
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Lancet 1998 Jan 31;351(9099):326-31 Randomised
placebo-controlled
crossover trial on effect of inactivated influenza
vaccine on pulmonary
function in asthma. [***]
Nicholson KG, Nguyen-Van-Tam JS, Ahmed AH, Wiselka MJ,
Leese J, Ayres
J, Campbell JH, Ebden P, Eiser NM, Hutchcroft BJ,
Pearson JC, Willey
RF, Wolstenholme RJ, Woodhead MA
Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical
Medicine, Leicester
Royal Infirmary, UK.
BACKGROUND: Despite current recommendations, many
people with asthma
do not receive annual vaccination against influenza,
partly because
of concern that vaccine may trigger exacerbations.
Colds can trigger
exacerbations, which may be mistaken for vaccine-related
adverse
events. We undertook a double-blind placebo-controlled
multicentre
crossover study to assess the safety of influenza
vaccine in patients
with asthma, with allowance for the occurrence of
colds. METHODS:
We studied 262 patients, aged 18-75 years, who
recorded daily peak
expiratory flow (PEF), respiratory symptoms,
medication, medical
consultations, and hospital admissions for 2 weeks
before the first
injection and until 2 weeks after the second
injection. Order of
injection (vaccine and placebo) was assigned randomly.
There was an
interval of 2 weeks between injections. The main
outcome measure was
an exacerbation of asthma within 72 h of injection
(defined as a fall
in PEF of >20%). FINDINGS: Among 255 participants with paired data,
11 recorded a fall in PEF of more than 20% after
vaccine compared with
three after placebo (McNemar's test p=0.06); a fall of
more than 30%
was recorded by eight after vaccine compared with none
after placebo
(binomial test p=0.008). However, when participants with
colds were
excluded, there was no significant difference in the
numbers with falls
of more than 20% between vaccine and placebo (six vs
three; binomial
test p=0.51), although the difference for PEF
decreases of more than
30% approached significance (five vs none; binomial
test, p=0.06).
This association was confined to first-time vaccinees.
INTERPRETATION:
Our findings indicate that pulmonary-function
abnormalities may occur
as a complication of influenza vaccination. However,
the risk of
pulmonary complications is very small and outweighed
by the benefits
of vaccination.
PMID: 9652613, UI: 98314721
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Med J Aust 1990 Sep 17;153(6):367 Dangers of
immunotherapy for the
treatment of asthma in children.
Phelan PD Comment in: Med J Aust 1990 Dec
3-17;153(11-12):744 Comment
in: Med J Aust 1991 Feb 18;154(4):294
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Wien Klin Wochenschr 1989 Aug 4;101(15):504-11
Comparative studies of
the effectiveness of specific immunotherapy in house
dust mite allergy.
[Article in German]
Ebner H, Neuchrist C, Havelec L, Kraft D Ambulatorium
fur Allegie
und klinische Immunologie, Wien.
In a prospective study, 60 patients with allergic
rhinoconjunctivitis
and/or asthma due to house dust mites were chosen for
hyposensitization
treatment with Migen (M) or Pharmalgen (P).
Immunotherapy stretched
over a whole year and every 3 months clinical results
were evaluated by
the patient's symptom score, by results of skin prick
and conjunctival
provocation tests, as well as by RIA and ELISA
regarding the total and
specific IgE and also specific IgG and IgG4 levels.
Out of 30 patients
of the M group, 15 were followed up over the whole therapeutic
regimen,
4 of whom showed a very good, 7 a good to moderate
clinical outcome and
4 showed no improvement at all. In the P group, 17 out
of 30 patients
were followed up whereby 9 showed a very good and 8 a
good to moderate
response. In both groups of patients a statistically
significant
decrease in skin and conjunctival sensitivity to mite
allergens was
observed after 12 months of therapy. However, there
was no correlation
between this observation and the failure or success of
immunotherapy.
Furthermore, in both groups there was significant
increase in total
and specific IgE (with a slight decrease after 6 to 12
months) and
also in specific IgG and IgG4 (especially in the P
group), but again
these changes in antibody levels gave no indication of
a good or bad
clinical outcome. Hence, we believe other reasons than
the usually
presented thesis of inducing "blocking
antibodies" by immunotherapy
to be responsible for the well-known effects of
hyposensitization.
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J Allergy Clin Immunol 1985 Dec;76(6):773-5 What we do
and do not
know about mold allergy and asthma.
Reed CE PMID: 4067126, UI: 86060482
<< All
opinions expressed are mine, not the University's >>
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David
Foster National Center for Microscopy
and Imaging Research
Programmer/Analyst University
of California, San Diego
dfoster@ucsd.edu Department
of Neuroscience, Mail 0608
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"The
reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in
trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore, all progress
depends on
the unreasonable." -- George
Bernard Shaw
ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.