1015 SERUM AND NASOPHARYNGEAL SECRETORY ANTIBODY AND CELLULAR IMMUNE RESPONSE TO VARICELLA ZOSTER VIRUS (VZV) AFTER NATURALLY ACQUIRED OR VACCINE INDUCED INFECTION

Abstract

Employing the techniques of lymphocyte transformation, delayed cutaneous reactivity to VZV, and fluorescent antibody staining to membrane antigen (FAMA), the cell mediated immunity (CMI), serum IgG, IgA, and IgM, and nasopharyngeal IgA antibody response to VZV was determined in 45 patients with naturally acquired VZV infection, and in 9 and 11 normal subjects immunized with Oka strain of live attenuated VZV vaccine administered via intranasal (I/N) or subcutaneous (S/C) routes respectively. Most subjects manifested VZV specific CMI response after natural infection or immunization by various routes. Natural infection resulted in VZV antibody response in serum IgM, IgG and IgA, and nasopharyngeal IgA response in 100% of subjects. I/N or S/C immunization induced serum IgG antibody response which was remarkably similar to the response observed after natural infection. Significantly, however, secretory IgA response to VZV was conspicuously undetectable after S/C or I/N immunization with the live vaccine. These observations provide further support for the efficacy of VZV vaccine to induce high degree of VZV specific immune response in the serum. However, the lack of secretory antibody response after mucosal or parenteral immunization with this vaccine may have potential implications in susceptibility to mucosal reinfection in vaccinated subjects.