Herpes zoster (HZ), or shingles, is caused by reactivation of the ubiquitous varicella zoster virus (VZV) that remains latent in sensory neurons following childhood varicella infection (chickenpox). It is estimated that one-third of individuas will develop HZ in their lifetime, and that >20% of individuals affected by zoster experience significant morbidity and occasionally mortality. The most common complication is post-herpetic neuralgia, resulting in chronic and sometimes debilitating pain. Other serious complications are rare but devastating, including encephalitis, blindness, loss of hearing and death. HZ risk is elevated by various states of immunosuppression including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), where the risk is approximately double that of the general population. Given the increased HZ disease burden in RA, and the large numbers of RA patients within the US population, prevention of HZ in this setting has major potential public health impact. Currently, a live attenuated vaccine (Zostavax(r)) is available that reduces HZ morbidity by nearly 70%, yet to date, few RA patients have received this vaccine; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) consider the live zoster vaccine contraindicated in patients receiving some immunosuppressive medications such as biologic therapies. This contraindication stems from the theoretical concern that these individuals could develop local or disseminated varicella infection from the vaccine-strain virus. However, there are no published data to suggest that these safety concerns are warranted, and a growing body of observational data suggest that vaccinating such patients might be safe. In light of 1) a substantial elevated HZ risk among RA patients; 2) national data showing most RA patients are not vaccinated for HZ; and 3) the high effectiveness and safety of this vaccine in the general population, we propose to conduct the Varicella zostER VaccinE (VERVE) trial, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled large pragmatic trial to evaluate the immunogenicity, safety, and longer-term effectiveness of the live HZ vaccine in arthritis patients receiving anti-TNF therapy.
Results from this trial are expected to change clinical practice by demonstrating both short and longer-term effectiveness, as well as safety and tolerability, of the live zoster vaccine among current anti-TNF users. Rheumatologists and other providers will be able to improve the care, outcomes, and quality of life for patients on these biologies, substantially decreasing the morbidity of herpes zoster and its complications over a lifetime.
| England, Bryant R; Mikuls, Ted R; Curtis, Jeffrey R (2018) Reply. Arthritis Rheumatol 70:320 |
| Calabrese, Leonard H; Xie, Fenglong; Yun, Huifeng et al. (2017) Herpes Zoster and the Risk of Stroke in Patients With Autoimmune Diseases. Arthritis Rheumatol 69:439-446 |
| Yun, Huifeng; Xie, Fenglong; Baddley, John W et al. (2017) Longterm Effectiveness of Herpes Zoster Vaccine among Patients with Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases. J Rheumatol 44:1083-1087 |
| England, Bryant R; Mikuls, Ted R; Xie, Fenglong et al. (2017) Herpes Zoster as a Risk Factor for Incident Giant Cell Arteritis. Arthritis Rheumatol 69:2351-2358 |
| Curtis, Jeffrey R; Xie, Fenglong; Yun, Huifeng et al. (2016) Real-world comparative risks of herpes virus infections in tofacitinib and biologic-treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 75:1843-7 |
