Pneumococcal vaccination in rheumatic diseases: 10 years of application experience at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology

Abstract

In the coming XXI century, infectious diseases still retain their importance both in medical and social terms, this problem is very relevant for rheumatology, where comorbid infections (CI) have a significant impact on both the course of the main immuno-inflammatory rheumatic disease (IIRD) and mortality. One of the leading places in the structure of serious CI in patients with IIRD is occupied by pneumonia, which is a weighty argument in favor of the vaccination of these patients from pneumococcal infection. The article presents generalized data on the use of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV-23) in patients with IIRD who received inpatient and outpatient treatment at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology for the last 10 years. It has been shown that the vaccination of PPV-23 in patients with IIRD is characterized by high preventive efficacy (>90%), is safe and does not increase the risk of exacerbation of the disease. The sufficient immunogenicity of vaccination is evidenced by a significant increase in the levels of pneumococcal antibodies in the blood serum and the coefficient of post-vaccination response. The use of glucocorticoids (methylprednisolone, prednisolone) has no significant effect on the effectiveness, immunogenicity and safety of PPV-23 vaccination. The possibility of vaccination of PPV-23 with any activity of the process in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and spondyloarthritis (ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis) with the condition of adequate therapy has been demonstrated. In order to develop clearer indications for vaccination, to determine time intervals for revaccination, to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of new pneumococcal vaccines, as well as to study the effect on the results of immunization of various anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with IIRD, further multicenter large-scale studies are needed.