Agger WA, Deviley JA, Borgert AJ, Rasmussen CM. Increased Incidence of Giant Cell Arteritis After Introduction of a Live Varicella Zoster Virus Vaccine.
Open Forum Infect Dis 2021;
8:ofaa647. [PMID:
33598502 PMCID:
PMC7875324 DOI:
10.1093/ofid/ofaa647]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) has been associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA). The introduction of a live attenuated vaccine against this virus (ZVL) might have changed the incidence of GCA.
METHODS
The incidence of GCA was retrospectively measured using 2 matched cohorts seen in a regional health system located in the Midwestern United States: ZVL recipients from the years 2007 through 2015 following the introduction of the vaccine and nonrecipients from the years 2000 through 2015.
RESULTS
In the ZVL cohort, a significant increase of GCA was associated with clinical criteria alone for the diagnosis of GCA (hazard ratio [HR], 2.70; 95% CI, 1.48-4.45; P = .004). In addition, using only pathologically confirmed GCA, the same matched cohort comparison analysis also found that ZVL recipients were at significantly higher risk than those who did not receive ZVL (HR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.48-4.95; P = .001).
CONCLUSION
Using a matched cohort, retrospective comparison, ZVL was associated with an increased incidence of GCA.
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