ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With flu vaccination seasonin full swing, research from the University of Rochester Medical Centercautions that use of many common pain killers -- Advil, Tylenol, aspirin -- atthe time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and have a negativeeffect on the immune system.Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Medicine, Microbiologyand Immunology, and of Pediatrics, has been studying this issue for years andrecently presented his latest findings to an international conference oninflammatory diseases.
More information about the research is available athttp://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=2675, and moreinformation about the conference is available athttp://bioactivelipidsconf.wayne.edu/.
“What we’ve been saying all along, and continue to stress, is that it’sprobably not a good idea to take common, over-the-counter pain relievers forminor discomfort associated with vaccination,” Phipps said. “We have studiedthis question using virus particles, live virus, and different kinds of painrelievers, in human blood samples and in mice -- and all of our research showsthat pain relievers interfere with the effect of the vaccine.”
A study by researchers in the Czech Republic reported similar findings in theOct. 17, 2009, edition of The Lancet. They found that giving acetaminophen,the active ingredient in Tylenol, to infants weakens the immune response tovaccines.
Phipps’ research has tested whether production of antibodies using a cellculture system was blunted by over-the-counter pain relievers. He found that avariety of pain relievers -- even though Tylenol and Advil have differentingredients -- seemed to dilute the production of necessary antibodies toprotect against illness.
Many of the pain relievers in question are classified as NSAIDs ornonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which act in part by blocking thecyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2) enzyme. Blocking the cox-2 enzyme is not a good ideain the context of vaccination, however, because the cox-2 enzyme is necessaryfor the optimal production of B-lymphocytes.
Therefore, when a person takes a medication to reduce pain and fever, he orshe might also inadvertently reduce the ability of B cells to make antibodies.
Phipps and colleagues also demonstrated that timing of the administration ofpain relievers is important as well, according to the study published earlierthis year in the journal Cellular Immunology.
They exposed human cells and mice to ibuprofen, Tylenol, aspirin and naproxen(Aleve) in amounts comparable to doses commonly used by millions of Americansevery day to prevent or treat pain and fever, or arthritis, or to preventheart attack and stroke.
Treatment during the earliest stages of inflammation - or when the first signsof pain, swelling, redness or fever would occur - had the most detrimentaleffects on the immune system, the study noted.
The connection between NSAIDs and antibody production is still being activelypursued. Phipps said researchers believe ibuprofen, in particular, affectslymphocytes’ ability to produce antibodies.
Meanwhile, until a full clinical trial provides a clearer picture, Phippsurges regular users of NSAIDs to be aware of the risks.
“NSAIDs are one of the most commonly used drugs; they are recommended for allage categories, are prescribed for relieving transient pain or in cases ofserious inflammatory diseases,” Phipps said. “By decreasing antibodysynthesis, NSAIDs also have the ability to weaken the immune system which canhave serious consequences for children, the elderly and the immune-compromisedpatients.”
The U.S. Public Health Service has funded Phipps’ studies. URMCco-investigators on the study in Cellular Immunology include: David Topham,Ph.D., an expert in the immune response to influenza and a principalinvestigator in the David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology,and Simona Bancos and Matthew P. Bernard, of the Department of EnvironmentalMedicine, Lung Biology and Disease Program.
One of the nation’s top academic medical centers, the University of RochesterMedical Center (http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/) forms the centerpiece of theUniversity’s health research, teaching, patient care, and community outreachmissions. The Medical Center receives more than $230 million in externalresearch funding per year and the University of Rochester School of Medicineand Dentistry ranks in the top one-quarter of U.S. medical centers in federalresearch funding. The University’s health care delivery network is anchored byStrong Memorial Hospital - a 739-bed, University-owned teaching hospital. Asupstate New York’s premier health care delivery network, patients benefit fromthe Medical Center’s robust teaching and biomedical research programs.
SOURCE University of Rochester Medical Center
Leslie Orr of University of Rochester Medical Center, +1-585-275-5774,Leslie_Orr@urmc.rochester.edu
