title: Comparison of a live attenuated and an inactivated varicella vaccine to boost the varicella-specific immune response in seropositive people 55 years of age and older.
abstract: Healthy, varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-seropositive subjects, aged 55-89 years (mean age 66 years), received either 4000 PFU of live, attenuated VZV vaccine (n=85) or an equal volume of this vaccine that was heat-inactivated (n=82). Both vaccines significantly boosted VZV antibody (enzyme immunoassay) and gamma-interferon production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated by VZV antigen. These responses returned to baseline by 12 months. Circulating mononuclear cells that proliferated in response to VZV antigen were significantly more numerous (responder cell frequency assay) after either vaccine, and persisted with a half-life of 17. 5-21.3 months. There were no differences in immune response to either vaccine in this older age cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics/Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262, USA. myron.levin@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Zerbe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stinson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hayward
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated