To the Editor:
We read the paper by Sheth, et al1 with great interest. The authors have brought out an important aspect of patients with autoimmune immune rheumatic diseases (AIRD) with the example of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being at an increased risk of herpes zoster (HZ) infection. This is because of the disease activity itself, the immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies, and other comorbidities2. In fact, such patients show a greater than 2-fold increased risk of serious infection and up to a 4-fold increase while receiving longterm glucocorticoids. Infection is one of the leading causes of morbidity and …
Address correspondence to Dr. R.D. Thakran, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Sec-C, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, 110070 India. E-mail: ravita_33{at}yahoo.com