Decrease of the lymphoproliferative response to varicella-zoster virus antigen in the aged
Year: 1981
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Humoral antibodies and specific cellular immune reactions (proliferative immune response in the lymphocyte transformation test) to varicella-zoster virus antigen were measured in children, young adults, and elderly people. In children and young adults, the humoral varicella-zoster-specific antibodies and the virus-specific cellular immune response generally coincided. In the over-60 age group, however, a discrepancy was often observed between these parameters. Ninety percent of the elderly subjects showed humoral antibodies, but only 64% still had a measurable varicella-zoster-specific immune response. There was no correlation between the magnitude of the virus antigen-specific immune response and the mitogen-induced lymphoproliferative response (phytohemagglutinin stimulation). One in three elderly people, therefore, showed no cellular immune response to the varicella-zoster virus antigen, and this person could probably be regarded as a potential herpes zoster patient.
Source: Infection and Immunity
Authors: R Berger, G Florent, M Just
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1930140134