Transverse myelitis and vaccines: a multi-analysis
- 30 October 2009
- journal article
- review article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Lupus
- Vol. 18 (13), 1198-1204
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0961203309345730
Abstract
Transverse myelitis is a rare clinical syndrome in which an immune-mediated process causes neural injury to the spinal cord. The pathogenesis of transverse myelitis is mostly of an autoimmune nature, triggered by various environmental factors, including vaccination. Our aim here was to search for and analyze reported cases of transverse myelitis following vaccination. A systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE and DynaMed for all English-laguage journals published between 1970 and 2009 was preformed, utilizing the key words transverse myelitis, myelitis, vaccines, post-vaccination, vaccination and autoimmunity. We have disclosed 37 reported cases of transverse myelitis associated with different vaccines including those against hepatitis B virus, measles—mumps—rubella, diphtheria—tetanus—pertussis and others, given to infants, children and adults. In most of these reported cases the temporal association was between several days and 3 months, although a longer time frame of up to several years was also suggested. Although vaccines harbor a major contribution to public health in the modern era, in rare cases they may be associated with autoimmune phenomena such as transverse myelitis. The associations of different vaccines with a single autoimmune phenomenon allude to the idea that a common denominator of these vaccines, such as an adjuvant, might trigger this syndrome. Lupus (2009) 18, 1198—1204.This publication has 55 references indexed in Scilit:
- Infections and autoimmunity – friends or foes?Trends in Immunology, 2009
- Autoimmune response following annual influenza vaccination in 92 apparently healthy adultsAutoimmunity Reviews, 2008
- Alum adjuvant boosts adaptive immunity by inducing uric acid and activating inflammatory dendritic cellsThe Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2008
- Autoantibody-mediated disorders of the central nervous systemAutoimmunity, 2008
- Adjuvant-Enhanced Antibody Responses in the Absence of Toll-Like Receptor SignalingScience, 2006
- Acute transverse myelitis in a 7-month-old boy after diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis immunizationSpinal Cord, 2005
- Transverse myelitis after measles and rubella vaccinationJournal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2004
- Neurologic Complications Associated with Influenza Vaccination: Two Adult Cases.Internal Medicine, 2003
- Transverse myelitis following hepatitis B vaccinationJournal of Hepatology, 1993
- Transverse myelitis after diphtheria, tetanus, and polio immunisation.BMJ, 1977