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Human papillomavirus vaccine and systemic lupus erythematosus

Clinical Rheumatology volume 32, pages 1301–1307 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

To investigate the association between human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and autoimmune manifestations compatible with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or SLE-like disease, the medical history of six women who presented with SLE or SLE-like disease following HPV immunization was collected. Data regarding type of vaccine, number of immunization, family and personal, clinical and serological features, as well as response to treatments were analyzed. In the reported cases, several common features were observed, such as personal or familial susceptibility to autoimmunity or adverse response to a prior dose of the vaccine, both of which may be associated with a higher risk of post-vaccination autoimmunity. Favorable response to immunosuppressant was observed in all patients. In the current study, a temporal association between immunization with HPV vaccine and the appearance of a spectrum of SLE-like conditions is reported. Additionally, among the patients described, several common features were observed that may enable better identification of subjects at risk. Further studies are required to assess the safety of immunization with the HPV vaccine in patients with autoimmune-rheumatic diseases or in subject at risk of autoimmunity as well as the potential beneficial effect of preventive immunosuppressants.

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Disclosure

YS appears in court defending subjects afflicted by immunization. All other authors: disclosure: none.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Mariele Gatto & Andrea Doria

  2. The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, 52621, Israel

    Nancy Agmon-Levin, Ramit Maoz-Segal, Shaye Kivity & Yehuda Shoenfeld

  3. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Nancy Agmon-Levin, Shaye Kivity & Yehuda Shoenfeld

  4. Periodic Fever Research Centre, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy

    Alessandra Soriano & Raffaele Manna

  5. Rheumatic Disease Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel

    Shaye Kivity

  6. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Incumbent of the Laura Schwarz-Kip Chair for Research of Autoimmune Diseases, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Yehuda Shoenfeld

Authors
  1. Mariele Gatto
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  2. Nancy Agmon-Levin
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  3. Alessandra Soriano
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  4. Raffaele Manna
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  5. Ramit Maoz-Segal
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  6. Shaye Kivity
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  7. Andrea Doria
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  8. Yehuda Shoenfeld
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yehuda Shoenfeld.

Additional information

Mariele Gatto and Nancy Agmon-Levin have equally contributed to this manuscript.

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Gatto, M., Agmon-Levin, N., Soriano, A. et al. Human papillomavirus vaccine and systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Rheumatol 32, 1301–1307 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-013-2266-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-013-2266-7

Keywords

  • Anti-phospholipids antibodies
  • ASIA
  • Autoimmunity
  • Human papillomavirus
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Vaccine