The only significant predictor of vaccine response was IgG2 level at the time of immunization for tetanus, PPV23, and KLH vaccines, he said, noting that “age, methotrexate dose, concomitant corticosteroid use, diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, skin test anergy [less than 5-mm induration], IgM, IgA, total IgG, and IgG1, IgG3, and IgG4 subsets were not predictors of immunization response, nor did rituximab affect total IgG or IgG2 levels.”
Dr. Bingham has served as a consultant to Genentech Inc. and to Roche.