Abnormalities of cellular immune response in arthritis induced by rubella vaccination

The rubella-specific antibody, activity the levels of immunoglobulins and complement in the serum, the number of T cells, and the nature of cell-mediated immunity as measured by lymphocyte transformation (LTF) of circulating lymphocytes in response to rubella virus and phyto-hemagglutinin (PHA) were studied in 15 children who manifested arthralgia or arthritis after parenteral immunization with HPV-77 DE/5 or RA27/3 live attenuated rubella virus vaccines. Eighteen appropriately matched subjects who developed no post-vaccine complications were included as controls. The immunoglobulins, complement, and rubella antibody levels were similar in all subjects. Although significant rubella specific cell-mediated immunity was detectable in most control subjects, the activity was markedly depressed in subjects with arthritis. The LTF activity in response to PHA was approximately equal in both groups. These findings suggest a selective depression of cell-mediated immunity to rubella virus in subjects with arthritis associated with rubella vaccination.