Decline in varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-specific cell-mediated immunity with increasing age and boosting with a high-dose VZV vaccine.
The safety and immunogenecity of a booster dose of live attenuated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) vaccine was evaluated in 196 healthy subjects, >or=60 years old, who had already received a VZV vaccine >5 years before. This repeat booster dose was well tolerated. Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to VZV was measured by an interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot-forming cell (ELISPOT) assay and a limiting dilution responder cell frequency (RCF) assay. Prevaccination responses decreased as a function of increasing age but were detectable in all subjects by use of the IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay. In most subjects, VZV-specific CMI was increased at 6 weeks postvaccination. The magnitude of the vaccine-induced IFN-gamma ELISPOT response was inversely related to prevaccination values. Although there was a significant correlation between the IFN-gamma ELISPOT and RCF assays, the ELISPOT assay had greater sensitivity and a wider dynamic range. A live attenuated VZV vaccine is safe and immunogenic in an elderly population, and the vaccine-induced immunity may be monitored by the IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay.
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA. myron.levin@uchsc.edu.
Myron J
MJ
Levin
Jeffrey G
JG
Smith
Robin M
RM
Kaufhold
Debra
D
Barber
Anthony R
AR
Hayward
Christina Y
CY
Chan
Ivan S F
IS
Chan
David J J
DJ
Li
William
W
Wang
Paul M
PM
Keller
Alan
A
Shaw
Jeffrey L
JL
Silber
Katia
K
Schlienger
Ira
I
Chalikonda
S J R
SJ
Vessey
Michael J
MJ
Caulfield
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D007371:Interferon-gamma