Longterm Efficacy of an Antipneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine among Patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the longterm humoral response of an antipneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated spondyloarthropathy (SpA), and the effect of demographic and clinical factors and treatment on the longterm efficacy of the vaccine.

Methods: A total of 145 consecutive patients treated with biologics [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitors] or methotrexate (MTX) participated in this study. Fifteen were excluded because of absent information regarding their vaccination status (n = 9) or because of technical problems in obtaining their serum sample (n = 6). They were diagnosed with RA (n = 63, 48.5%), PsA (n = 29, 22.3%), AS (n = 28, 21.5%), or IBD-associated SpA (n = 3, 2.3%). Their mean age was 54.6 years, and 61.5% were women. Data were collected on the timing of vaccination, demographic and clinical characteristics, and treatment, and patients' serum antipneumococcal antibody levels were tested.

Results: Two-thirds of the patients (67.7%) had received PPSV23 45 months (mean) earlier. Treatment included TNF-α inhibitors (73.9%), IL-6 receptor inhibitors (13.1%), or MTX without a biological treatment (13%). The uptake of vaccination was significantly higher in the older population (> 65 yrs). Vaccinated patients had significantly higher antibody levels compared with vaccine-naive patients. The antibody levels had been preserved after 10 years. MTX use, but not biologics, was associated with significantly lower antibody levels.

Conclusion: The longterm efficacy of the PPSV23 vaccination seems to be preserved among patients with RA, PsA, AS, and IBD-associated SpA for at least 10 years. Efficacy is slightly impaired by MTX, but it is not affected by biologics. These findings suggest that revaccination after 5 years might not be needed for all, and testing the antibody titers should be considered to identify those who may benefit from revaccination.

Keywords: AUTOIMMUNE; EFFICACY; PNEUMOCOCCAL; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS; VACCINE.