Clinical Trial: Immune Response to Varicella-Zoster Vaccination and Infection

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Immune Responses to Varicella-Zoster Virus Vaccination and Infection

Brief Summary:

Background:

  • The common varicella-zoster virus causes both chickenpox and shingles. Both diseases cause rashes, but they can also have complications such as bacterial infections of the skin, pneumonia, or eye disease.
  • By drawing and studying blood samples from people who have been infected with the varicella-zoster virus or who are receiving or have received the varicella vaccine, researchers hope to learn more about the immune system s response to the virus.

Objectives:

- To determine the immune system s response to the varicella virus, either in its existing form or given as part of a vaccine.

Eligibility:

  • Individuals 18 years of age and older who have had or are receiving the varicella vaccine.
  • Individuals 5 years of age and older who currently have chickenpox or shingles.

Design:

  • Participants will visit the NIH Clinical Center for an initial physical examination, and will provide blood samples for evaluation.
  • Researchers will determine the number of samples to be taken and the amount of blood to be drawn as needed based on the participants medical history and exposure to the varicella-zoster virus.

Investigators in this study will not be giving subjects either the chickenpox or shingles vaccine. They will only be looking at the response to the vaccine in persons who are receiving or have received the vaccine

Detailed Summary: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox (varicella) and shingles (zoster). Antibody is important for control of varicella as evidenced by the role of varicella immune globulin in limiting the severity of disease in immunocompromised persons. Limited information is available regarding the individual viral proteins to which antibodies are produced during primary infection with VZV or after vaccination. Furthermore, commercially available tests to determine seropositivity to VZV after vaccination have limited sensitivity, and improved assays are needed. We will obtain blood from persons with varicella, zoster, and those vaccinated with the varicella (not zoster) vaccine at the NIH Clinical Center and measure immune responses against specific viral proteins, look for virus in the blood, and in some cases measure immune responses against cellular proteins over time. Elucidation of these responses might help to develop more sensitive assays for VZV seropositivity after vaccination and determine how the varicella vaccine protects against varicella.
Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Current Primary Outcome:

Original Primary Outcome:

Current Secondary Outcome:

Original Secondary Outcome:

Information By: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)

Dates:
Date Received: June 16, 2009
Date Started: June 15, 2009
Date Completion: January 8, 2015
Last Updated: April 19, 2017
Last Verified: January 8, 2015