Cellular immune response of a varicella vaccine following simultaneous DTaP and VZV vaccination

• Published in: Vaccine 1999-02, Vol.17 (7), p.669-674
• Main Authors: Habermehl, Pirmin, Lignitz, Andreas, Knuf, Markus, Schmitt, Heinz-Josef, Slaoui, Moncef, Zepp, Fred
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Chickenpox Vaccine - immunology; Chickenpox Vaccine - therapeutic use; Child, Preschool; Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine - immunology; Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine - therapeutic use; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Herpesvirus 3, Human - immunology; Humans; Immunity, Cellular - immunology; Immunization Schedule; Immunization, Secondary; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infant; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interleukin-10 - biosynthesis; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Male; Microbiology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Varicella-zoster virus; Virology
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0264-410X(98)00249-7

Background: Chickenpox and zoster are an important cause of morbidity among children and adults. The ability of a new, thermostable vaccine to induce varicella–zoster-virus (VZV)-specific humoral and cell mediated immunity when given simultaneously with diphtheria–tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) as a booster dose in the second year of life was investigated. Methods: A new, temperature stable varicella vaccine (OKA-strain, SB-Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium) was given simultaneously with a booster dose of DTaP vaccine. VZV-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity was studied in the first 27 out of 232 vaccinated children at 16–28 months of age, from blood samples drawn just before and six weeks after vaccination. VZV-specific antibody response, T-cell proliferation, cytokine production and expression of activation markers (CD25, HLADR) on T-cells were analyzed. Results: Vaccination resulted in a significant rise of VZV-specific serum IgG titers and in a strong VZV-specific T-cell response in all vaccinated infants. Analysis of the expression of activation marker revealed activation of both CD4 +-T-helper- and CD8 +-T-cells. Conclusions: The varicella vaccine given simultaneously with DTaP produced strong B- and T-cell responses alike. This is the first report to show that CMI to VZV is conferred to young children by vaccination with a temperature stable VZV vaccine.