Tovaxin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:34 pm
Hi to All,
This something everyone in the Tovaxin study should be aware of.
Best regards, Tim
Reported November 30, 2006
Vaccines & Painkillers Don't Mix
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The first thing many people do after getting a vaccination is reach for a painkiller to ward off common reactions like fever or pain at the site of the injection.
That's the wrong thing to do, according to University of Rochester researchers who studied the effects of common pain relievers on the ability of vaccinations to produce antibodies in the blood.
Their investigation reveals non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin, Advil and Celebrex, actually inhibit the ability of the vaccine to produce antibodies to the disease it is designed to protect against.
The problem lies in the interaction between B cells in the body, which produce the antibodies, and the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors found in NSAIDs. COX -- which can cause pain and inflammation when it gets out of control -- is actually necessary to help B cells produce the antibodies, which would attack an invading virus.
The researchers arrived at these findings after studying the effect of NSAIDs on the newly approved HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. While the vaccine was 100 percent effective in clinical trials involving women, laboratory studies conducted in mice and on blood samples taken from women who received the vaccine revealed NSAIDs were capable of reducing its effectiveness.
The authors write NSAIDs may have the same effect on people receiving other vaccinations, like the flu shot. The effect could be worse in elderly people, who have reduced immune function to begin with and are more likely to be on regular doses of the painkillers for arthritis and other conditions.
"For years we have known that elderly people are poor responders to the influenza vaccine and vaccines in general," reports principal investigator Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D. "And we also know that elderly people tend to be heavy users of inhibitors of cyclooxygenase such as Advil, aspirin or Celebrex. This study could help explain the immune response problem."
SOURCE: Journal of Immunology, 2006;177:7811-7819
This something everyone in the Tovaxin study should be aware of.
Best regards, Tim
Reported November 30, 2006
Vaccines & Painkillers Don't Mix
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The first thing many people do after getting a vaccination is reach for a painkiller to ward off common reactions like fever or pain at the site of the injection.
That's the wrong thing to do, according to University of Rochester researchers who studied the effects of common pain relievers on the ability of vaccinations to produce antibodies in the blood.
Their investigation reveals non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin, Advil and Celebrex, actually inhibit the ability of the vaccine to produce antibodies to the disease it is designed to protect against.
The problem lies in the interaction between B cells in the body, which produce the antibodies, and the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors found in NSAIDs. COX -- which can cause pain and inflammation when it gets out of control -- is actually necessary to help B cells produce the antibodies, which would attack an invading virus.
The researchers arrived at these findings after studying the effect of NSAIDs on the newly approved HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. While the vaccine was 100 percent effective in clinical trials involving women, laboratory studies conducted in mice and on blood samples taken from women who received the vaccine revealed NSAIDs were capable of reducing its effectiveness.
The authors write NSAIDs may have the same effect on people receiving other vaccinations, like the flu shot. The effect could be worse in elderly people, who have reduced immune function to begin with and are more likely to be on regular doses of the painkillers for arthritis and other conditions.
"For years we have known that elderly people are poor responders to the influenza vaccine and vaccines in general," reports principal investigator Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D. "And we also know that elderly people tend to be heavy users of inhibitors of cyclooxygenase such as Advil, aspirin or Celebrex. This study could help explain the immune response problem."
SOURCE: Journal of Immunology, 2006;177:7811-7819