Immunization of the Elderly and Patients with Collagen Vascular Diseases with Live Varicella Vaccine and Use of Varicella Skin Antigen

Elderly subjects and patients with collagen vascular diseases were immunized with a live varicella vaccine to assess the vaccine's potential for preventing herpes zoster. An improved varicella-zoster virus (VZV) skin test antigen was then used to assess cell-mediated immunity to VZV. The antige...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 1992-08, Vol.166 (Supplement-1), p.S58-S62
Main Authors: Takahashi, Michiaki, Iketani, Toshihiko, Sasada, Kenshiro, Hara, Jiro, Kamiya, Hitoshi, Yoshizo, Asano, Koichi, Baba, Kimiyasu, Shiraki
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Antibodies
Antibodies, Viral - analysis
Antigens
Antigens, Viral - immunology
Chickenpox
Chickenpox Vaccine
Child
Collagen Diseases - immunology
Female
Herpes zoster
Herpes Zoster - immunology
Herpes Zoster - prevention & control
Herpesvirus 3, Human - immunology
Humans
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - immunology
Male
Middle Aged
Older adults
Skin Tests
Tuberculin
Vaccination
Vaccines, Attenuated - immunology
Varicella zoster encephalitis
Viral Vaccines - immunology
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Summary:Elderly subjects and patients with collagen vascular diseases were immunized with a live varicella vaccine to assess the vaccine's potential for preventing herpes zoster. An improved varicella-zoster virus (VZV) skin test antigen was then used to assess cell-mediated immunity to VZV. The antigen was prepared from culture fluid of VZV-infected cells and had far less protein content than crude antigen prepared by sonication of infected cells. In 11 of 12 patients with ophthalmic zoster and 17 of 21 with dermal zoster, the skin reaction was negative at the beginning of the disease but became positive later. After two doses ofVZV vaccine, 8 of 12 elderly subjects (>60 years old) and 4 of 6 patients with collagen vascular diseases, who were VZV-skin test negative but purified protein derivative tuberculin test-positive, became VZV skin test-positive.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/166.Supplement_1.S58