Immune Responses To Flu Vaccine Are Diminished In Lupus Patients
Friday, August 7, 2009 - 21:21
in Health & Medicine
Because morbidity and mortality related to influenza are increased in immunocompromised patients, such as patients with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus, it is recommended that patients with SLE get annual flu shots, which are safe and do not increase disease activity. Both antibody and cell-mediated responses are involved in the immune response to influenza; in SLE, antibody responses to the vaccine are diminished, but it is not known if the same effect is seen in cell-mediated responses.