Gianotti-crosti syndrome after childhood vaccination

A 19-month-old boy was evaluated for a skin eruption after recent vaccinations. Clinical and histopathologic findings supported a diagnosis of Gianotti-Crosti syndrome (GCS). This case report examines the link between GCS and vaccinations, particularly the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine and the varicella virus live vaccine.     

Influenza Vaccination as a Novel Trigger of Wells Syndrome in a Child

Wells syndrome is a rare disorder of unknown etiology. Precipitants include insect bites, infections, medications, malignancies, and vaccinations. Possible mechanisms include hypersensitivity reactions to antigens. There are four reports in the literature of Wells syndrome precipitated by vaccinations (hepatitis B vaccine, tetanus vaccine, tetanus‐diptheria vaccine and triple antigen vaccine). We present a further case of Wells syndrome in a 22‐month‐old child after influenza vaccine as a novel trigger not previously reported.     

Gianotti-Crosti syndrome following immunization

Four infants developed Gianotti-Crosti syndrome (GCS) 6 to 8 days after immunization. Subsequent booster vaccinations were well tolerated. Different types of viral infections have been implicated in the pathogenesis of GCS. The occurrence of GCS after vaccination is rarely described in literature. We suggest that vaccination may be a relevant etiologic factor and should be considered in infants presenting with GCS.     

Delayed‐type hypersensitivity to vaccine aluminum adjuvant causing subcutaneous leg mass and urticaria in a child

A 3‐year‐old girl presented with a 7‐month history of a waxing and waning left thigh mass associated with pruritus and erythema at the site of two previous DTaP‐HepB‐IPV vaccinations. Patch testing was positive to aluminum chloride, supporting a diagnosis of vaccine granuloma secondary to aluminum allergy; her symptoms had been well controlled with antihistamines and topical steroids. Injection site granulomas are a benign but potentially bothersome reaction to aluminum‐containing immunizations that can be supportively managed, and we encourage strict adherence to the recommended vaccine schedule in this setting. Patch testing is a sensitive, noninvasive diagnostic tool for patients presenting with this clinical finding, and dermatologist awareness can prevent unnecessary medical examination and provide reassurance.     

Intradermal injection of Newcastle disease virus‐modified autologous melanoma cell lysate and interleukin‐2 for adjuvant treatment of melanoma patients with resectable stage III disease

Background: The value of active specific immunotherapy (ASI) for the treatment of solid tumours still has to be assessed. The objective was to test an autologous tumour cell vaccine for adjuvant treatment of stage III melanoma patients. Patients and Methods: After open vaccination of 12 patients, another 17 patients were recruited for a randomized double‐blind trial comparing treatment with the vaccine (n = 9) and with a placebo (n = 8). Intracutaneous vaccinations were given postoperatively in weeks 2, 4, 6, 12, 24 and thereafter every 6 months if sufficient vaccine material was available. Patients were followed for 60 – 84 months. Results: Median disease‐free survival time was 5 months for open‐treated, 4 months for verum‐treated and 6 months for placebo‐treated patients. Corresponding median overall survival times were 30.5, 18 and 18.5 months, respectively. There were no remarkable differences between the verum and the placebo group. Conclusions: Adjuvant treatment of melanoma patients with an autologous ASI vaccine did not show clinical efficacy in this cohort of melanoma patients.     

Aluminum granuloma in a child secondary to DTaP‐IPV vaccination: A case report

Reports detailing the acute formation of aluminum granulomas, which can cause persistent, intensely pruritic nodules secondary to the administration of aluminum‐containing vaccines, are infrequently described in medical literature. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the development of an aluminum granuloma causing a persistent, pruritic nodule at the injection site following the administration of the DTaP‐IPV vaccine. We present the case of a 6‐year‐old girl who developed a severely pruritic subcutaneous nodule on her anterior right thigh at the injection site three weeks after the administration of the aluminum‐containing DTaP‐IPV (Kinrix) vaccine. The nodule was eventually excised 14 months after its initial appearance, after which her symptoms resolved. Histologic inspection demonstrated a dense, deep dermal and subcutaneous nodular mixed infiltrate of lymphocytes, histiocytes, and eosinophils, with germinal center formation. The bluish, amphophilic granular cytoplasm found in most of the histiocytes is a characteristic feature of “aluminum granulomas.” This adverse reaction should be considered in any patient presenting with similar findings in the weeks following a DTaP‐IPV vaccination or other aluminum‐containing vaccines. Furthermore, the self‐limiting tendency of these nodules should not preclude affected patients from any future vaccinations, though vaccines without aluminum should be preferentially selected when possible.     

Literature‐based immunization recommendations for patients requiring immunosuppressive medications for autoimmune bullous dermatoses

Autoimmune bullous diseases, such as pemphigus, pemphigoid, and dermatitis herpetiformis, are uniquely associated with vulnerability in the mucocutaneous barrier against infection. The management of immunobullous diseases is complex and may at times require immunosuppressive medications. Iatrogenic immunosuppression may increase susceptibility to vaccine‐preventable illnesses. Currently, there are no guidelines to assist the clinician treating patients with immunobullous disease regarding the delivery of various vaccinations. The aim of this review is to provide recommendations for immunization in the unique setting of immunobullous disease. Recommendations are based on careful review of the literature in other conditions requiring iatrogenic immunosuppression, as well as the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Immunization with nonlive vaccines appears to be a safe and effective strategy for preventing infection in the particularly susceptible patient with immunobullous disease. Opportunities for live vaccine administration may become available at lower levels of immune suppression or during clinical remission when immunosuppressive regimens can be reduced. Anticipatory vaccination before the initiation of iatrogenic immunosuppression is ideal. Although immunologic response to vaccination may be suboptimal during immunosuppression, nonlive vaccination is strongly recommended for this patient population.     

Tattoo and vaccination sites: Possible nest for opportunistic infections,tumors, and dysimmune reactions

Tattoos have gained worldwide popularity in recent years, and vaccinations are universal preventive measures designed to minimize morbidity associated with specific pathogens. Both dermal tattoos and vaccine injections may alter local immune responses, creating an immunocompromised district on or near the site of placement. This can lead to the development of opportunistic infections, benign and malignant tumors, and local dysimmune reactions.     

Effect of therapeutic integrin (CD11a) blockade with efalizumab on immune responses to model antigens in humans: results of a randomized, single blind study

Efalizumab is a humanized monoclonal CD11a antibody approved for treatment of psoriasis. Its immunomodulatory effects led us study how immune responses are modified and the possible consequences for vaccinations in clinical practice. This was a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of 12 weeks of subcutaneous efalizumab treatment of patients with moderate psoriasis. Bacteriophage phiX174 was used as a model neoantigen to assess T-cell-dependent humoral immunity. Tetanus booster vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, and intracutaneous skin tests were administered to further evaluate humoral and cellular immune responses. During efalizumab treatment, both primary and secondary antibody responses to phiX174, including IgM/IgG isotype switch, were reduced. There appeared to be na?ve T-cell anergy to a neoantigen (phiX174) during active CD11a blockade, without tolerance to the antigen after efalizumab withdrawal. Secondary humoral immune responses to tetanus booster during treatment were reduced, but antibody titer increases led to protective levels. Responses to pneumococcal vaccination 6 weeks after withdrawal from efalizumab were not affected. Cellular immune responses to intracutaneous recall antigens were reduced during treatment and returned to pretreatment conditions after withdrawal. These results expand our knowledge of how immune responses are modulated in humans by CD11a blockade and have implications for vaccinations of patients treated with this agent.     

Sensitization to thimerosal in atopic children

Thimerosal is an organic mercurial compound widely used as a preservative in vaccines, eyedrops, and contact lens cleaning and storage solutions. 5 infants, 2 female and 3 male, ranging in age from 7 to 28 months and affected by atopic dermatitis (AD) diagnosed according to the Hanifin and Rajka criteria, experienced an exacerbation of their clinical condition 2-10 days after mandatory vaccinations with vaccines containing thimerosal. Cutaneous lesions of nummular eczema appeared on the trunk, limbs and face. All patients were patch tested with serial dilutions of thimerosal in petrolatum. A positive patch test reaction to thimerosal 0.1% pet. was observed in all 5 children. 3 of them also showed a positive reaction at 0.01% and 0.05% pet. Despite their thimerosal-hypersensitivity, all children completed the entire series of mandatory vaccinations, care being taken to use different needles for injection and aspiration of the vaccine. The 2-year follow-up did not reveal other episodes of exacerbation of the AD after vaccination. The present study confirms the high frequency of sensitization to thimerosal in atopic children and suggests that vaccination can cause clinical symptoms in sensitized children. Nevertheless, sensitization to thimerosal does not prevent children from continuing with mandatory vaccinations.     

Cutaneous Adverse Reactions Following Anti-Infective Vaccinations

Although widely administered, anti-infective vaccinations are rarely responsible for cutaneous adverse effects. In this context, hepatitis B and bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccines are the most frequently incriminated products. Cutaneous adverse effects are less frequently encountered following administration of vaccines against varicella, diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (primary and booster doses), measles, poliomyelitis, rubella, pneumococcus, tick-borne encephalitis, smallpox, Meningococcus and influenza. The adverse effects can occur at the site of or at a distance from the injection. The patho-mechanisms of local adverse cutaneous reactions include predominantly nonspecific lymphoid or granulomatous reactions. Allergic reactions to the vaccine strain, adjuvants, conservatives or other components are less frequently involved in local vaccine adverse effects. Systemic reactions are mainly mediated by immediate type or immune complex-related allergic reactions to toxoid-, ovalbumin-, gelatin- or pneumococcal-containing vaccines. Systemic reactions are sometimes related to a specific vaccine strain. Other cutaneous reactions may also occur through unknown patho-mechanisms. No vaccine type or strain is specifically associated with a particular type of cutaneous adverse effect. This article presents seven case reports of cutaneous adverse effects following anti-infective vaccination then reviews the relevant literature on this subject.     

Antibody titers--curse in patients with recurring Herpes simplex virus infections under vaccination with heat-inactivated Herpes viruses]

Follow-up studies of antibody-titres in patients suffering from recidivations of herpes labialis and progenitalis treated with herpes virus vaccine inactivated by heat. It was stated by several authors that patients suffering from recidivations of herpes labialis and progenitalis can be successfully treated with a herpes virus vaccine inactivated by heat (Lupidon G/H). Nothing is known, however, about the mechanisms diminishing recurrences. We have studied 11 patients and 3 control persons whether there were changes in specific antibody titres after repeated vaccinations. Skin reactions following intradermal injections were also tested. Serum samples studied over a period of 8 weeks until 9 months showed that the antibody titres found by complement-fixation and neutralization tests remained practically constant. Skin tests were always negative. Therefore it merits further study to find out the mode of action of this clinically successful treatment.     

Exacerbation of lupus panniculitis following anti-hepatitis-B vaccination

Even though benefits of vaccination policies have been widely demonstrated, vaccine injections might be associated with rare side effects. In this setting, the potential role of vaccines, mostly against hepatitis B virus, in the induction of autoimmunity has been a matter of controversy. We report the case of a woman followed for a lupus panniculitis which had been in remission for 3 years, who developed a lupus flare following an anti-hepatitis-B vaccine injection. The topography of recurring lupus lesions, the chronology of the flare and the increase in the antinuclear autoantibody serum level all supported a causal role for vaccination in the relapse of the lupus lesions. We believe that the present case might provide a first observation of lupus panniculitis possibly induced by hepatitis B vaccination, and this should be added to the range of dysimmune manifestations caused by vaccinations.     

Diagnostic criteria for Gianotti-Crosti syndrome: a prospective case-control study for validity assessment

No criteria exist for the modern diagnosis of Gianotti-Crosti syndrome (GCS). Our study objectives were to determine diagnostic criteria for GCS and to assess their validity using a prospective case-control design. We reviewed the clinical features of children with GCS who were reported in the literature from 1996 to 2000 and proposed a set of diagnostic criteria. We documented clinical features of children younger than 18 years who were diagnosed over a period of 18 months as having GCS and of control subjects given (over the same period) differential diagnoses of GCS. Forty-two children were recruited (11 with GCS and 31 controls with differential diagnoses of GCS). All children with GCS, and none of the controls, fulfilled the set of diagnostic criteria as a whole. We conclude that the proposed criteria are practical valid criteria for diagnosing GCS.     

Immunizations in immunocompromised patients: a guide for dermatologists

The increasingly frequent use of immunomodulatory agents in dermatology requires the observance of specific recommendations for immunization. These recommendations are developed and regularly updated by the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO), an independent advisory group at the Robert Koch Institute. Dermatological patients on immunosuppressive treatment should ideally receive all vaccinations included in the standard immunization schedule. Additionally, it is recommended that they also undergo vaccination against the seasonal flu, pneumococci, and herpes zoster (inactivated herpes zoster subunit vaccine for patients ≥ 50 years). Additional immunizations against Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B and meningococci may be indicated depending on individual comorbidities and exposure risk. Limitations of use, specific contraindications and intervals to be observed between vaccination and immunosuppression depend on the immunosuppressive agent used and its dosing. Only under certain conditions may live‐attenuated vaccines be administered in patients on immunosuppressive therapy. Given its strong suppressive effect on the humoral immune response, no vaccines – except for flu shots – should be given within six months after rituximab therapy. This CME article presents current recommendations on immunization in immunocompromised individuals, with a special focus on dermatological patients. Its goal is to enable readers to provide competent counseling and to initiate necessary immunizations in this vulnerable patient group.     

Nicolau's syndrome induced by intramuscular vaccinations in children: report of seven patients and review of the literature

Background.  Nicolau's syndrome (NiS), or embolia cutis medicamentosa, is a rare condition characterized by the acute onset of cutaneous and soft-tissue necrosis following intramuscular drug injection. Intramuscular injections are the main route for vaccinations in children.
Methods.  This is a retrospective study of seven children (mean age 9.8 months) who developed NiS subsequent to intramuscular vaccination.
Results.  The reactions were observed after different combinations of vaccine antigens, and were no more common after repeated than after primary injection of the respective vaccine. Three children developed scars without functional impairment, two made a full recovery, and the final outcome is unknown for four.
Conclusion.  Given the high prevalence of intramuscular injections during infancy, NiS seems to be a rare event, but there is a possiblity of under-reporting of less severe reactions. Our retrospective data do not allow a true risk assessment. The most worrying aspect of NiS, however, is its lack of predictability. As long as complete avoidance of the intramuscular route is not an option, it is obvious that NiS cannot be completely prevented.     

Inverse association between melanoma and previous vaccinations against tuberculosis and smallpox: results of the FEBIM study

Various forms of immunotherapy utilizing bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine or vaccinia vaccine have been evaluated in clinical trials on melanoma patients. The effect of the "natural" application of these vaccinations, administered to provide protection against tuberculosis and smallpox, has, however, never been studied in epidemiologic investigations on risk factors for melanoma. In a case-control study comprising 11 institutions in seven countries we recruited 603 incident melanoma cases and 627 population controls frequency matched to the cases with respect to sex, age, and ethnic origin within each center to assess this relationship to obtain insights into the prevention of melanoma. Exposure information, incorporating also detailed ascertainment of potential confounding variables, was obtained in standardized personal interviews at the study subject's home. We found an inverse association between melanoma risk and previous bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine/vaccinia vaccination depicted by an adjusted odds ratio of 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.26-0.72) for those vaccinated against tuberculosis and smallpox compared with subjects without a positive history of either vaccination. A variety of subgroup analyses showing a consistent pattern of results make it unlikely that the observed inverse association is a spurious finding. We conclude that bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination and vaccinia vaccination may lower melanoma risk. Current immunologic theory of melanoma development provides a sound basis for understanding the biologic plausibility of the findings that have to be confirmed in future studies.     

The unforeseen during biotechnological therapy for moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis: How to manage pregnancy and breastfeeding,infections from Mycobacterium tuberculosis,hepatitis B virus,hepatitis C virus,and HIV,surgery, vaccinations,diagnosis of malignancy,and dose tapering

The use of biotechnological therapies for moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis is ever‐expanding and it is becoming increasingly more frequent to encounter different unforeseen events during their use, such as fertile patients becoming pregnant and breastfeeding, development of infections due to personal habits like tuberculosis, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, or HIV, scheduling of surgical procedures, need of vaccinations, development of malignancy, and evaluation of dose tapering. As any clinician may experience at least one of these unexpected events, it should be good practice to know how to manage them. Thus, a practical analysis has been proposed in this study.     

S2k guidelines for the treatment of psoriasis in children and adolescents – Short version part 1

The present guidelines are aimed at residents and board‐certified physicians in the fields of dermatology, pediatrics, pediatric dermatology and pediatric rheumatology as well as policymakers and insurance funds. They were developed by dermatologists and pediatric dermatologists in collaboration with pediatric rheumatologists using a formal consensus process (S2k). The guidelines highlight topics such as disease severity, quality of life, treatment goals as well as problems associated with off‐label drug therapy in children. Trigger factors and diagnostic aspects are discussed. The primary focus is on the various topical, systemic and UV‐based treatment options available and includes recommendations for use and treatment algorithms. Other aspects addressed herein include vaccinations in children and adolescents with psoriasis as well as various disease subtypes such as guttate psoriasis, diaper psoriasis, pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Finally, we also provide recommendations for imaging studies and the diagnostic workup to rule out tuberculosis prior to initiating systemic treatment. Note: This article constitutes part 1 of the Sk2 guidelines for the treatment of psoriasis in children and adolescents. Part 2 will be published in the next issue. It contains chapters on UV therapy, systemic treatment, tonsillectomy and antibiotics, vaccinations, guttate psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, complementary medicine, as well as imaging studies and diagnostic workup to rule out tuberculosis prior to systemic treatment.     

单纯疱疹病毒II型CTL表位DNA疫苗的Th1/Th2免疫应答研究

目的探讨单纯疱疹病毒II型(HSV-2)CTL表位疫苗对小鼠Th1/Th2型免疫应答的影响。方法用构建的HSV-2pVAX-gD-CTL重组质粒免疫BALB/c小鼠3次,末次免疫后第4周检测小鼠血清中gDIgG水平;MTT法检测小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖情况;ELISA法检测脾淋巴细胞培养上清中INF-γ,IL-4水平;流式细胞仪测定小鼠CD4+,CD8+T淋巴细胞亚群。结果HSV-2pVAX-gD-CTL疫苗免疫小鼠后可以诱导脾淋巴细胞增殖及分泌INF-γ和IL-4,诱导CD4+,CD8+T细胞百分比的升高;并能刺激血清HSV-2gD特异性抗体的产生。其中pVAX-gD-CTL组在脾淋巴细胞刺激指数及其分泌INF-γ水平、CD4+,CD8+T细胞百分比升高方面均显著高于pVAX-gD对照组。结论CTL表位对单纯疱疹II型重组DNA疫苗诱导的Th1型免疫应答有促进作用。