Decrease of the lymphoproliferative response to varicella-zoster virus antigen in the aged.
Humoral antibodies and specific cellular immune reactions (proliferative immune response in the lymphocyte transformation test) to varicella-zoster virus antigen were measured in children, young adults, and elderly people. In children and young adults, the humoral varicella-zoster-specific antibodies and the virus-specific cellular immune response generally coincided. In the over-60 age group, however, a discrepancy was often observed between these parameters. Ninety percent of the elderly subjects showed humoral antibodies, but only 64% still had a measurable varicella-zoster-specific immune response. There was no correlation between the magnitude of the virus antigen-specific immune response and the mitogen-induced lymphoproliferative response (phytohemagglutinin stimulation). One in three elderly people, therefore, showed no cellular immune response to the varicella-zoster virus antigen, and this person could probably be regarded as a potential herpes zoster patient.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000939:Epitopes; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins