Long-term immunogenicity of a quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in systemic lupus erythematosus

To evaluate the 5-year immunogenicity of a quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (GARDASIL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Female SLE patients and controls, aged 18-35 years, who received GARDASIL in 2011 and sero-converted 12 months post-vaccination were followed for persistence of immunogenicity. Antibody measurement to HPV serotypes 6, 11, 16, 18 was repeated at 5 years. The rate of sero-reversion was compared between patients and controls, and factors associated with sero-reversion of the anti-HPV antibodies were studied.

50 SLE patients and 50 controls were vaccinated with GARDASIL. Among subjects who sero-converted at 1 year and consented for this study, antibodies to HPV serotypes 6, 11, 16 and 18 at 5 years were persistent in 24/27 (89%), 26/31 (84%), 32/34 (94%) and 24/25 (96%) of the SLE patients; and 32/33 (97%), 32/33 (97%), 32/32 (100%) and 23/24 (96%) of the controls, respectively. Antibody titers to HPV-6 and 16 were significantly lower in patients than controls. Seven (21%) SLE patients had sero-reversion of ≥1 anti-HPV antibodies. Sero-reverted patients experienced significantly more SLE flares, particularly renal, and had received significantly higher cumulative doses of prednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus than those with persistent immunogenicity. The cumulative doses of prednisolone correlated inversely and significantly with the anti-HPV 6, 11, and 16 titers at 5 years.

Immunogenicity of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine was retained in a high proportion of SLE patients at 5 year. Patients with more SLE renal flares and had received more immunosuppression were more likely to have sero-reversion of the anti-HPV antibodies.

US ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00911521 & NCT02477254).