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. 2010 Feb 16;102(4):727-30.
doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605542. Epub 2010 Jan 19.

IE63-specific T-cell responses associate with control of subclinical varicella zoster virus reactivation in individuals with malignancies

G N Malavige  1 , L T Rohanachandra, L Jones, L Crack, M Perera, N Fernando, D Guruge, G S Ogg
Affiliations

IE63-specific T-cell responses associate with control of subclinical varicella zoster virus reactivation in individuals with malignancies

G N Malavige et al. Br J Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV) is more common in patients with malignancies; however, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this susceptibility are unclear.

Methods: Using ex vivo interferon-gamma ELISpot assays, we set out to analyse VZV-specific immune responses in a large cohort of patients with malignancies.

Results: We observed that patients with malignancies had impaired VZV-specific T-cell responses, particularly in those with haematological malignancies and breast carcinoma. Immediate-early protein 63 (IE63)-specific T-cell responses were significantly impaired in those with subclinical VZV re-activation.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that T-cell responses to IE63 are important in controlling VZV replication.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ex vivo IFNγ ELISpot responses to VZV live attenuated vaccine, overlapping gE 20-mer peptide pool and overlapping IE63 20-mer peptide pools in patients with malignancies and healthy seropositive volunteers with no evidence of VZV reactivation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Ex vivo IFNγ ELISpot responses to VZV live attenuated vaccine, overlapping gE 20-mer peptide pool and overlapping IE63 20-mer peptide pool in patients with haematological and solid malignancies. The error bars represent the s.e.m.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Ex vivo IFNγ ELISpot responses to VZV live attenuated vaccine (VZV), overlapping gE 20-mer peptide pool and overlapping IE63 20-mer peptide pool in patients with malignancies who had subclinical VZV viraemia and those who were non-viraemic.
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