Humoral and cellular response after varicella vaccination in VZV IgG seronegative kidney transplant candidates.

Background: In immunocompromised patients, primary infection with VZV may have a disastrous clinical course. Vaccination of VZV-seronegative patients on the waiting list for renal transplantation may prevent severe disease. However, the immunologic response of end-stage renal disease patients to peptide vaccines is far from optimal. Our question was whether end-stage renal disease patients with undetectable VZV-IgG levels were able to mount an adequate humoral and cellular response to a live attenuated varicella vaccine.

Methods: Kidney transplant candidates with undetectable VZV levels were vaccinated twice with a live attenuated varicella vaccine at an interval of 6weeks. VZV IgG levels were analysed till 2years after vaccination. The VZV-specific T-cell reactivity was determined prior to vaccination and after transplantation.

Results: Seventy-seven percent (40/52) of the vaccinees reached positive VZV-IgG levels after vaccination (responders). Eighty-two percent (9/11) showed an increase in VZV-specific CD4 memory T-cells (both central and effector memory cells). The percentage VZV-specific CD8 memory T-cells did not increase. None of the non-responders suffered from primary VZV after transplantation. No severe vaccine-related adverse events were reported, only spontaneously resolving local skin irritation.

Conclusion: The live attenuated varicella vaccine evokes positive VZV IgG-levels and VZV-specific memory T-cells in VZV-seronegative potential kidney transplant candidates.