title: Successful IL-2 therapy for relapsing herpes zoster infection in a patient with idiopathic CD4+ T lymphocytopenia.
abstract: Idiopathic CD4+ T lymphocytopenia (ICL) has been defined by the center of disease control as a rare cause of immunodeficiency with a variable clinical course and an unknown aetiology. Here we describe a 65-year old patient with relapsing generalized herpes zoster infection due to ICL and a severe panlymphocytopenia. In vitro assays revealed an enhanced activation of CD8+ T cells and an increased sensitivity of activated CD4+ T cells for cell death. The clinical outcome was substantially improved after starting the patient on a subcutaneous therapy with IL-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany. warnatz@mm61.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Warnatz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Draeger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlesier
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Peter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018344:T-Lymphocytopenia, Idiopathic CD4-Positive / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma