title: Influence of age and nature of primary infection on varicella-zoster virus-specific cell-mediated immune responses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-specific cell-mediated immunity is important for protection against VZV disease. We studied the relationship between VZV cell-mediated immunity and age after varicella or VZV vaccination in healthy and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  VZV responder cell frequency (RCF) determinations from 752 healthy and 200 HIV-infected subjects were used to identify group-specific regression curves on age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In healthy individuals with past varicella, VZV RCF peaked at 34 years of age. Similarly, VZV-RCF after varicella vaccine increased with age in subjects aged <1 to 43 years. In subjects aged 61-90 years, VZV RCF after zoster vaccine decreased with age. HIV-infected children had lower VZV RCF estimates than HIV-infected adults. In both groups, VZV RCF results were low and constant over age. Varicella vaccination of HIV-infected children with CD4 levels 20% generated VZV RCF values higher than wild-type infection and comparable to vaccine-induced responses of healthy children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In immunocompetent individuals with prior varicella, VZV RCF peaked in early adulthood. Administration of varicella vaccine to HIV-infected or uninfected individuals aged >5 years generated VZV RCF values similar to those of immunocompetent individuals with immunity induced by wild-type infection. A zoster vaccine increased the VZV RCF of elderly adults aged <75 years to values higher than peak values induced by wild-type infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, USA. Adriana.Weinberg@ucdenver.edu
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: Ann A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lazar
authors.forename: Gary O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Zerbe
authors.forename: Anthony R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: Ivan S F
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vessey
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Silber
authors.forename: Rob R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: MacGregor
authors.forename: Kenny
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Anne A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gershon
authors.forename: Myron J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000276:immunology*; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine