Shingles Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Shingles, including details on symptoms, treatment, causes, virus.

Exploring the impact of exposure to primary varicella in children on varicella-zoster virus immunity of parents.

Ogunjimi B, Smits E, Hens N, Hens A, Lenders K, Ieven M, Van Tendeloo V, Van Damme P, Beutels P

1 Centre for Health Economics Research and Modeling Infectious Diseases (CHERMID), and Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination (CEV), University of Antwerp , Antwerp, Belgium .

Abstract Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes both primary varicella, and through reactivation of the virus, herpes zoster. It is hypothesized that VZV-immune adults may reduce the probability of developing herpes zoster through exposure to varicella. In this study we examine the existence of immunological boosting in VZV-immune adults after close contact with primary varicella. We followed-up 18 parents with household exposure to primary varicella for 1 y. Fifteen age-matched healthy and 20 older volunteers served as control groups. Cellular (IFN-γ ELISPOT) and humoral responses were measured. Data analyses were performed by t-tests and linear mixed models. The young control group only showed higher cellular responses than the older control group and the exposed group 1 mo after exposure. The exposed group had a strong tendency toward higher cellular responses compared to the older control group, reaching significance 1 y post-exposure. The best fitting linear mixed model predicts a decline in cellular response of 50% between 1 wk and 1 mo post-exposure, followed by an increase to attain an 80% higher level at 1 y compared to the first week post-exposure. No significant results emerged based on the humoral response of the individual parents in the exposed group, despite a general tendency toward higher antibody concentrations in the exposed versus the control groups. No significant difference in humoral immunity was found between the control groups. One year after initial re-exposure to VZV, VZV-immune adults showed a rise in cellular response as assessed by IFN-γ ELISPOT, and steady-state levels for the humoral response.

Published 31 March 2011 in Viral Immunol, 24(2): 151-7.
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