title: Persistence of cell-mediated and humoral immune responses in healthy children immunized with live attenuated varicella vaccine.
abstract: Two hundred fourteen healthy seronegative children immunized with various doses of Oka/Merck varicella vaccine were studied for persistence of varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-specific lymphocyte proliferation and antibodies to VZV as determined by a glycoprotein (gp) ELISA. Of the 140 vaccinees tested for VZV-specific lymphocyte proliferation, 94% had positive responses, with a mean stimulation index of 8.9 (range, 3.0-44.6). Of 214 tested by gpELISA, 95% were positive for up to 6 years after immunization; the geometric mean titer was 30.2 (range, 1.3-3510.0). Of 122 individuals tested both by ELISA and for VZV-specific lymphocyte proliferation, 91% had persistence of both responses. Persistence of cellular and humoral immune responses in a large percentage of vaccinees for up to 6 years after immunization with Oka/Merck varicella vaccine suggests that protection against severe varicella is likely to be similarly long-lasting.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Immunology, Joseph Stokes, Jr. Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Starr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007223:Infant; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014765:Viral Vaccines