Influence of age and nature of primary infection on varicella-zoster virus-specific cell-mediated immune responses.
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.
Weinberg
Adriana
A
Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, USA. Adriana.Weinberg@ucdenver.edu
Lazar
Ann A
AA
Zerbe
Gary O
GO
Hayward
Anthony R
AR
Chan
Ivan S F
IS
Vessey
Rupert
R
Silber
Jeffrey L
JL
MacGregor
Rob R
RR
Chan
Kenny
K
Gershon
Anne A
AA
Levin
Myron J
MJ
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
D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine