Long Term Persistence of IgE Anti-Varicella Zoster Virus in Pediatric and Adult Serum Post Chicken Pox Infection and after Vaccination with Varicella Virus Vaccine

Abstract

The production of IgE specific to different viruses (HIV-1, Parvovirus B19, RSV), and the ability for IgE anti-HIV-1 to suppress HIV-1 production in vitro, strongly suggest an important role for IgE and/or anti viral specific IgE in viral pathogenesis. Previous studies in our laboratory were the first to report the presence of IgE anti-varicella zoster virus (VZV) in an adolescent patient with shingles. However, the presence and long term persistence of IgE anti VZV antibodies has not been studied in adults. The presence of serum IgE in addition to IgE and IgG anti-VZV antibody in sera were studied in children (N=12) (0-16 y/o) and adults (N=9) (32-76 y/o) with either a past history of (wild type) chicken pox (N=7 children, 9 adults) or 5 years after vaccination with varicella zoster (N=2 children) (Varicella virus vaccine live, Oka/Merck), as well as in non-infected subjects (N=3 children). Of the patients who had a positive history of chicken pox 13 of 16 (81%) contained IgE anti-VZV antibodies; they were both serum IgEHi (>100 IU/ml) and IgELo (<100 IU/ml). Of the patients who were vaccinated, IgE anti-VZV antibodies were undetected. In contrast, serum from the patients without a history of chicken pox or vaccination did not make either IgE or IgG anti-VZV antibodies. This is the first demonstration of the existence of IgE anti-VZV antibodies, and its long-term persistence in serum of previously infected subjects. Future studies regarding the functional role of anti-viral IgE and its relationship to VZV are warranted.

Keywords: IgE; varicella zoster virus; varicella zoster virus vaccine.

Figure 1

Western blot analysis of anti-varicella zoster virus (VZV) antibodies. Serum from subjects with either past history of VZV infection, vaccination or no infection was incubated with nitrocellulose strips containing VZV antigen (see Materials and Methods). Lane 1: representative blot of subjects with either past history of VZV who have elevated (>100 IU/ml) IgE levels. Lane 2: representative blot of subjects with either past history of VZV who have low (<100 IU/ml) IgE levels. Lane 3: representative blot of VZV vaccinated subject. Lane 4: control subjects, no history of infection.

Figure 2

Quantitative analysis of IgE anti-VZV. IgE anti-VZV antibodies were determined in patients who have high (black triangles) or low (white triangles) IgE levels and had either no history of VZV exposure (white circles) or were exposed to VZV vaccine (white squares). Data are expressed as fold difference of IgE-anti-VZV antibody (defined as the difference between the amount of signal obtained from the color in the sample, compared with the white background signal). Significance was observed for “Wild-type” when compared with “No History”/“Vaccine” groups (p=0.04).