Influence of methotrexate, TNF blockers and prednisolone on antibody responses to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Objective. To compare antibody responses to 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumovax (R)) in controls and patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with TNF blockers, methotrexate (MTX) or a combination of both. Methods. Patients with RA (n = 149) and healthy controls (n = 47) were vaccinated. Treatment with TNF blockers (etanercept or infliximab) and MTX was given to 50 patient