title: Varicella-zoster virus infection in children with underlying human immunodeficiency virus infection.
abstract: This article describes a prospective longitudinal study of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children, designed to determine their natural history of VZV infection and possible effects of VZV on the progression of HIV infection. Varicella was usually not a serious acute problem, and it did not seem to precede clinical deterioration. The rate of zoster was high: 70% in children with low levels of CD4+ lymphocytes at the time of development of varicella. It is predicted that immunization with live attenuated varicella vaccine is unlikely to be deleterious to HIV-infected children. Moreover, if they are immunized when they still have relatively normal levels of CD4+ lymphocytes, they may have a lower rate of reactivation of VZV than if they were allowed to develop natural varicella when their CD4+ cell counts have fallen to low levels as a result of progressive HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, and Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gershon
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mervish
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: LaRussa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hodes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fikrig
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bonagura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakshi
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009518:New York; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine