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2026, Vol: 51, Issue: 2
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RMJ. 2026; 51(2): 369-373


Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs

Saad Saleem, Taqdees Khaliq, Sarah Azam Shah, Sumyra Saleem, Benish Adil.


Abstract
Objective: To determine the frequency of herpes zoster (HZ) in patients with diverse autoimmune rheumatic conditions taking different disease-modifying drugs (DMARDs) and immunosuppressants.
Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the Rheumatology and Dermatology Units of Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital, Islamabad from 12th March to 12th Sept 2022. A total of 243 patients, including both males and females with established diagnoses of different AIIRD were enrolled through a consecutive non-probability sampling technique. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.
Results: Out of 243 patients, 59 (24.3%) were male and 184 (75.7%) were female with a mean age of 40.9±13.4 years. The minimum age of the patients was over 1 year. Among AIIRD, rheumatoid arthritis was the most common disease (59.3%), followed by systemic lupus erythematosus (12.3%). Herpes zoster (HZ) infection developed in 17 out of 243 patients, showing a prevalence of 6.9% in AIIRD. A substantial number of HZ infections (55.6%) were attributable to SLE. Out of 17 patients, 47% were on a prescribed combination therapy of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants (p<0.001). HZ had a higher prevalence among patients with a disease duration of <5 years (0.022).
Conclusion: Herpes zoster is a common infection in the setting of AIIRDs. Patients with SLE carry the highest risk, while corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents are the major factors for the increased risk of HZ.

Key words: Autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Herpes Zoster (HZ).


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Saleem S, Khaliq T, Shah SA, Saleem S, Adil B. Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs. RMJ. 2026; 51(2): 369-373.

Web Style

Saleem S, Khaliq T, Shah SA, Saleem S, Adil B. Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs. https://www.rmj.org.pk/?mno=220644 [Access: June 22, 2026].

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Saleem S, Khaliq T, Shah SA, Saleem S, Adil B. Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs. RMJ. 2026; 51(2): 369-373.


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Saleem S, Khaliq T, Shah SA, Saleem S, Adil B. Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs. RMJ. (2026), [cited June 22, 2026]; 51(2): 369-373.


Harvard Style

Saleem, S., Khaliq, . T., Shah, . S. A., Saleem, . S. & Adil, . B. (2026) Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs. RMJ, 51 (2), 369-373.


Turabian Style

Saleem, Saad, Taqdees Khaliq, Sarah Azam Shah, Sumyra Saleem, and Benish Adil. 2026. Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs. Rawal Medical Journal, 51 (2), 369-373.


Chicago Style

Saleem, Saad, Taqdees Khaliq, Sarah Azam Shah, Sumyra Saleem, and Benish Adil. "Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs." Rawal Medical Journal 51 (2026), 369-373.


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Saleem, Saad, Taqdees Khaliq, Sarah Azam Shah, Sumyra Saleem, and Benish Adil. "Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs." Rawal Medical Journal 51.2 (2026), 369-373. Print.


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Saleem, S., Khaliq, . T., Shah, . S. A., Saleem, . S. & Adil, . B. (2026) Risk of Herpes Zoster infection in patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (AIIRDs) and its relation to different DMARDs. Rawal Medical Journal, 51 (2), 369-373.


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