Impaired cellular immune responses to herpes zoster subunit vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving Janus kinase inhibitors
Authors' conclusion
The lack of significant increases in both vaccine-specific proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells and proinflammatory cytokines after vaccination indicate impaired T cell responses to the HZ/su vaccination in patients with RA treated with JAKi.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with JAKi, Department of Rheumatology, Skåne University Hospital, Sweden, and healthy controls
- Participants
- 46 vs 37
- Exposure
- RA patients treated with JAKi vs healthy controls, both receiving two doses of herpes zoster (HZ)/su vaccine
- RA on JAKin = 46
- Healthy controlsn = 37reference
- Outcome
- Cellular immune responses to HZ/su vaccine: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) gE-specific lymphocyte proliferation (flow cytometry) and gE-specific TNFα and IFNγ production
- Follow-up
- ∼6 weeks after vaccination
Methodological detailsvaccine immunogenicity, single-centre
- Vaccine immunogenicity
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
gE-specific proliferation of CD19+ cells, after vs before vaccination
- In patients, no statistically significant differences after vaccination for glycoprotein E (gE)-specific proliferation of CD4+ or CD8+ cells or production of TNFα or IFNγ
- Lower proportions of patients than controls achieved a positive vaccine response for gE-specific proliferation of CD4+, CD8+ and CD19+ cells and gE-specific TNFα
- RA on JAKi vs Healthy controls: P = 0.016
- Healthy controls: P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Impaired cellular immune responses to herpes zoster subunit vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving Janus kinase inhibitors. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 2 December 2025. doi:10.
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