Immunogenicity of influenza H1N1 vaccination in mixed connective tissue disease: effect of disease and therapy.

Objective: To assess the potential acute effects regarding the immunogenicity and safety of non-adjuvanted influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in patients with mixed connective tissue disease and healthy controls.

Methods: Sixty-nine mixed connective tissue disease patients that were confirmed by Kasukawa's classification criteria and 69 age- and gender-matched controls participated in the study; the participants were vaccinated with the non-adjuvanted influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) virus-like strain. The percentages of seroprotection, seroconversion, geometric mean titer and factor increase in the geometric mean titer were calculated.

Persistent periodontal disease hampers anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate prospectively the influence and the evolution of periodontal disease (PD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients submitted to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy.

Methods: Eighteen patients with RA (according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria) were assessed for PD before (BL) and after 6 months (6M) of anti-TNF treatment: 15 infliximab, 2 adalimumab, and 1 etanercept. Periodontal assessment included plaque and gingival bleeding indices, probing pocket depth, cementoenamel junction, and clinical attachment level.