title: A dose-response study of a live attenuated varicella-zoster virus (Oka strain) vaccine administered to adults 55 years of age and older.
abstract: Decreased cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is correlated with an increased risk of reactivation of latent virus from dorsal root sites, leading to herpes zoster. The cell-mediated and humoral immunogenicity of three concentrations (3200, 8500, and 41,650 pfu/dose) of a live attenuated VZV vaccine (Oka strain; VZV/Oka) was compared with a control pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in 200 healthy adults who were > or = 55 years old. Six weeks after vaccination, the VZV-specific CMI response (as measured by stimulation index values and precursor cell frequencies) was enhanced in all VZV/Oka vaccine groups compared with the control group (for all VZV/Oka groups combined vs. controls, tested with VZV crude antigen: stimulation index, P < .001; precursor cell frequency, P < .001). Geometric mean titers of anti-VZV antibodies increased in all VZV/Oka vaccine groups but remained unchanged in the control vaccine group. No dose effect of VZV/Oka vaccine was observed for CMI or humoral responses.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trannoy
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holländer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bailleux
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rudin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Creusvaux
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D012449:Safety; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated