title: [Seroprevalence of varicella-zoster virus in children with cancer in six hospitals in Santiago, Chile].
abstract: Infections with varicella-zoster virus (VVZ) in immunocompromised children imply a high mortality. There is no data about VVZ seroprevalence in children with cancer in our country.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of VVZ antibodies in children with cancer who have undergone chemotherapy or have undergone a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
  
  
  METHODS
  collaborative, multicenter study. Serum samples were collected from 281 children with cancer and episodes of febrile neutropenia from 6 hospitals belonging to the public health network in the Metropolitan Region between June 2004 and August 2006. These samples were stored at -70 ° C, and 200 of them were randomly chosen and analyzed to determine VVZ IgG (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  179 samples from 179 children, 65% male. Ninety eighth/179 (55%) were positive, 72/179 (40%) negative and 9/179 (5%) indeterminate. Stratified by age, seropositive percentage was: 1 to 4 years 32%, 5-9 years 42%, 10-14 years 78%, over 15 years 88%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Forty percent of children treated for cancer are seronegative to VVZ infection, a frequency that decreases with age. These results support the adoption of preventive measures to avoid infection in this population of children at risk of developing a serious and possibly fatal illness.
authors: Universidad de Chile, Chile.
authors: Giannina
authors: G
authors: Izquierdo
authors: Marcela
authors: M
authors: Zubieta
authors: María J
authors: MJ
authors: Martínez G
authors: Ana M
authors: AM
authors: Alvarez
authors: Carmen L
authors: CL
authors: Aviles
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Becker
authors: Mónica
authors: M
authors: Peña
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Salgado
authors: Pamela
authors: P
authors: Silva
authors: Santiago
authors: S
authors: Topelberg
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Tordecilla
authors: Mónica
authors: M
authors: Varas
authors: Milena
authors: M
authors: Villarroel
authors: Tamara
authors: T
authors: Viviani
authors: María E
authors: ME
authors: Santolaya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral