(Reuters Health)—Adults 50 years and older who take tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi’s) for a range of inflammatory disorders can receive effective protection from shingles with a live varicella zoster vaccine, a clinical trial suggests.1 Researchers randomized 617 participants receiving TNFi’s in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the Zostavax live varicella zoster vaccine or… [Read More]
Search results for: Varicella zoster
Varicella Zoster Virus Not Associated with Giant Cell Arteritis Pathogenesis
Researchers suggest antiviral therapy is not appropriate for patients with GCA, based on their study findings and related research…... [Read More]
Varicella Zoster Virus Downregulates Programmed Death & Promotes Inflammation
A recent study found that the varicella zoster virus downregulates expression of programmed death ligand 1 and major histocompatibility complex 1 in brain fibroblasts, perineurial cells and lung fibroblasts. These effects may lead to persistent inflammation in the vessels and lungs, as well as promote subsequent infection of T cells and the spread of the virus…... [Read More]
Varicella Zoster Virus May Cause Giant Cell Arteritis
Researchers have recently discovered a connection between the varicella zoster virus infection, which causes chicken pox and shingles, and giant cell arteritis…... [Read More]
Live Herpes Zoster Vaccine Fails to Provide Long-Term Protection in RA Patients on Tofacitinib
(Reuters Health)—The live herpes zoster vaccine does not provide reliable long-term protection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking tofacitinib, a recent study suggests. Current ACR guidelines conditionally recommend that patients with RA who are 50 years and older be vaccinated against herpes zoster prior to starting therapy with the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib or… [Read More]
Zoster Reactivation Risk in Patients Treated with Cyclophosphamide
Varicella-zoster-virus (VZV) reactivation, which can cause patients to develop herpes zoster (i.e., shingles), occurs more frequently in patients with systemic vasculitis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who have received intravenous cyclophosphamide than in otherwise healthy adults, according to a retrospective study published in The Journal of Rheumatology by researchers in France.1 The study also shows… [Read More]
Herpes Zoster & Tofacitinib
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster (HZ), is a common and sometimes debilitating disease that disproportionately affects elderly individuals and those who are immunocompromised. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a 1.5–2-fold higher risk of developing HZ compared with healthy adults. Treatment with some disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has been shown to increase this risk…. [Read More]
Herpes Zoster & the Risk of Stroke in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases
Herpes zoster (HZ) infection, also known as shingles, is caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus infection generally acquired decades earlier. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the incidence of stroke immediately following HZ infection is increased in patients with autoimmune diseases compared with the incidence of stroke at later time points. Results: In patients with autoimmune diseases, incident HZ was associated with as much as a twofold increased risk of stroke. Prompt antiviral therapy was associated with lower incidence of subsequent stroke…... [Read More]
7 Key Insights Into the Evaluation of Central Nervous System Vasculitis
Many a rheumatology consult has centered on a perplexing question: Does this patient have central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis? At the 2021 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, Rula Hajj-Ali, MD, FACP, professor of medicine and associate director of vasculitis care and research, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, discussed this topic in detail, providing a series… [Read More]
Interfering with Interferon: Experts Discuss IFN Signaling & IFN Inhibition Treatment Possibilities
NIH investigators describe key features and genetic causes of Mendelian interferonopathies, & treatment approaches that may indicate the efficacy of IFN inhibition. ... [Read More]
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