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Rheumatology (Oxford) 1999 Oct;38(10):978-983 |
Rheumatic disorders developed after hepatitis
B vaccination.
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]