Tyson H. Holmes

Publication Details

• Variability and gender differences in memory T cell immunity to varicella-zoster virus in healthy adults.

  Klein NP, Holmes TH, Sharp MA, Heineman TC, Schleiss MR, Bernstein DI, Kemble G, Arvin AM, Dekker CL. Vaccine. 2006; 24 (33-34): 5913-8

  Latent varicella zoster virus (VZV) can reactivate and cause zoster, the prevention of which relies upon cellular immunity to VZV. To assess temporal variation of VZV cell-mediated immunity in healthy naturally immune adults, we evaluated VZV-specific responder cell frequencies (RCF) longitudinally over 1 year in each of 25 adults. VZV-specific CD4+ T cells were detected (p < 0.003) and showed minimal variability in RCF. Additional analysis of VZV T cell RCF revealed differences between genders, with only males (p < 0.005) having detectable VZV-specific memory CD4+ T cell responses by this method. Taken together, results suggest that further studies regarding immunization of younger adults and females with the modified, high-potency live attenuated VZV vaccine may be warranted.

  PubMedID: 16759768