Zostavax in Rheumatoid Arthritis - Full Text View

Purpose

Herpes Zoster (shingles) is caused by reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (VZV) that usually occurs decades following initial exposure. The risk of developing shingles increases with age. Shingles presents as a painful, itchy blistering rash that usually involves a single portion of the skin and lasts about 7-10 days. The risk of developing shingles increases with age in healthy people, and has been shown in some studies to be increased in people with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

Zostavax, a live-attenuated vaccine against the varicella zoster virus, was first approved by the FDA for the prevention of Shingles among people 60 years and older, and is now approved for use in people aged 50 years and older. Because rheumatoid arthritis and some of the medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can impair the body's immune system, it is not known how much of an immune response can be generated in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

The goals of this study are to measure the immune response after standard vaccination with Zostavax in people with rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to people with healthy immune systems. All participants will be 50 years old or older, and subjects with rheumatoid arthritis will not be eligible if they are taking certain biologic medications. Ten healthy subjects and 10 subjects with rheumatoid arthritis will all receive a single vaccination with Zostavax, then will be followed for 12 weeks to assess the immune response and for the development of local rash or other potential side effects.

Condition	Intervention	Phase
Rheumatoid Arthritis Varicella Zoster	Drug: Zostavax (varicella zoster virus) vaccine	Phase 1

Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Allocation: Non-Randomized Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Open Label Primary Purpose: Prevention
Official Title:	Immune Response to Varicella Zoster Vaccination (ZOSTAVAX) in Subjects With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Chickenpox Rheumatoid Arthritis Shingles

Drug Information available for: Herpes Zoster Vaccine

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation:

Primary Outcome Measures:

safety [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
The primary outcome of the study is assessment of adverse events, including injection site reactions and development of zoster-like lesions, following vaccination in subjects with RA compared to healthy subjects

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Immunogenicity [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
The secondary objective of the study is immunogenicity. Specifically, the change from baseline in varicella-zoster virus-specific cell mediated immunity (assessed by IFN-g ELISpot) between subjects with RA and healthy subjects will be compared.

Estimated Enrollment:	20
Study Start Date:	January 2012
Estimated Study Completion Date:	October 2012
Estimated Primary Completion Date:	July 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms	Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Rheumatoid Arthritis 10 subjects with mild rheumatoid arthritis aged 50 years and older will be enrolled and will receive a single dose of Zostavax vaccine.	Drug: Zostavax (varicella zoster virus) vaccine Standard vaccination protocol for Zostavax will be utilized. 0.65 ml (19,400 plaque forming units) Zostavax will be administered subcutaneously once at the baseline visit
Active Comparator: Healthy Subjects 10 healthy subjects aged 50 years or older who have not been previously immunized, will receive a single injection of Zostavax.	Drug: Zostavax (varicella zoster virus) vaccine Standard vaccination protocol for Zostavax will be utilized. 0.65 ml (19,400 plaque forming units) Zostavax will be administered subcutaneously once at the baseline visit

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:	50 Years to 80 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:	Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Age ≥ 50 years
Willing and able to provide written informed consent
History of primary varicella vaccination or positive VZV IgG antibodies
Diagnosis of RA according to ACR criteria for > 1 year, or healthy control subject
Stable, mild disease activity as defined by a DAS28 score of 4.0
Current medical treatment for RA has been stable for 4 weeks prior to screening
Acceptable immunosuppressive medications are limited to Prednisone ≤ 10 mg daily Methotrexate ≤ 20 mg weekly Hydroxychloroquine ≤ 6.5 mg/kg daily
Female subjects of childbearing potential and non-sterile males must agree to use acceptable form of contraception for the duration of the study

Exclusion Criteria:

History of receiving any VZV-containing vaccine
History of herpes zoster reactivation (shingles) within 5 years of enrollment
Received any vaccine within 6 weeks
Known Hepatitis B, C or HIV virus infection
History of drug or alcohol abuse within 1 year
Rituximab therapy within 2 years of screening
Cyclophosphamide within 6 months of screening
Biologic therapy (TNF inhibitors, CTLA-4Ig, etc.) within 6 months of screening
Use of mycophenolate mofetil within 3 months of screening
History of receiving immunoglobulin or other blood product within 3 months of screening
Allergic reaction, intolerance or other contraindication to use of famciclovir.
Has received an experimental/investigational agent (vaccine, drug, biologic, device, blood product, or medication) within 3 months of screening; or expects to receive another experimental/investigational agent within 6 months post immunization.
Pregnant or lactating women
Unwilling to use acceptable method of contraception for the duration of the study
WBC <3.0; ANC <1500; CD4+ <200
Proteinuria >1.5 mg/day
Impaired renal function defined by serum Cr >1.5
Transaminases > 2x upper limit of normal
DAS28 > 4
Anticipation of need to increase level of immunosuppression or add biologic therapy for 6 months following dosing.
History of neoplastic disease within 5 years of screening, except for completely excised non-melanoma cancer of the skin or in-situ carcinoma of the uterine cervix.
History of any hematological malignancy, current bleeding disorder or taking anticoagulant medication (heparin or warfarin).
Any condition that would, in the opinion of the site investigator, place the subject at an unacceptable risk of injury or render the subject unable to meet the requirements of the protocol.

Contacts and Locations

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01506661

Locations

United States, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation	Recruiting
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, 73104
Contact: Eliza F Chakravarty, MD, MS 405-271-6242 chakravartye@omrf.org
Contact: Virginia Roberts (405) 271-7221 virginia-roberts@omrf.org
Principal Investigator: Eliza F Chakravarty, MD, MS

Sponsors and Collaborators

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

More Information

No publications provided

Responsible Party:	Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT01506661 History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:	OMRF11-53
Study First Received:	January 5, 2012
Last Updated:	January 9, 2012
Health Authority:	United States: Institutional Review Board

Keywords provided by Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation:

Rheumatoid arthritis
vaccination
immune response
varicella zoster

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Arthritis
Arthritis, Rheumatoid
Chickenpox
Herpes Zoster
Joint Diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Rheumatic Diseases

Connective Tissue Diseases
Autoimmune Diseases
Immune System Diseases
Herpesviridae Infections
DNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 23, 2013