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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, April 2009, p. 484-487, Vol. 16, No. 4
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/CVI.00397-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Prevalence of Anti-Varicella-Zoster Virus Antibodies in French Infants under 15 Months of Age
Didier Pinquier,1*
Arnaud Gagneur,2
Laurent Balu,3
Olivier Brissaud,4
Christèle Gras Le Guen,5
Isabelle Hau-Rainsard,6
Olivier Mory,7
Georges Picherot,5
Loïc De Pontual,3
Jean-Louis Stephan,7
Peter Maple,8
Judith Breuer,9
Marie Aubert,10
Evelyne Caulin,10
Claudine Sana,10
Pierre Pradat,11,12,13
Benoît Soubeyrand,10 and
Philippe Reinert6
Hôpital Charles Nicolle, Pôle Mère-Femme-Enfant, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Rouen, Rouen,1 CHU Brest, Brest,2 Hôpital Jean Verdier, Bondy,3 CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux,4 Hôpital Mère-Enfant, Centre d'Investigation Clinique Pédiatrique, CHU Nantes, Nantes,5 CHI Créteil, Créteil,6 CHU Nord, Saint-Etienne,7 Sanofi Pasteur MSD,10 Service d'Hepatogastroentérologie, Hotel-Dieu, Hospices Civils de Lyon,11 IFR62 Lyon-Est, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1,12 INSERM U871, Lyon, France,13 Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency,8 Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Queen Mary University, London, United Kingdom9
Received 31 October 2008/ Returned for modification 24 November 2008/ Accepted 21 January 2009
Varicella is a widespread disease of childhood resulting from primary infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The objective of this study was to determine the kinetics of the decline of maternal anti-VZV antibodies in French infants between birth and the age of 15 months in order to estimate the duration of passively acquired maternal anti-VZV immunoglobulin G (IgG). This prospective multicenter study was conducted between October 2005 and January 2007 in the pediatric wards and/or pediatric emergency units of seven French hospitals scattered throughout the country. The level of anti-VZV IgG antibodies in serum was measured by a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) (the threshold considered positive is 150 mIU/ml). A total of 345 infants were included. Seventy-seven percent of mothers reported a history of varicella. A rapid decline in the prevalence of anti-VZV antibodies was observed during the first few months of life, with the mean antibody titer decreasing from 536 mIU/ml at birth and through 1 month to below the 150-mIU/ml threshold at 3 to 4 months. The half-life of passively acquired maternal immunoglobulins was around 6 weeks. Based on a large number of subjects, this study clearly demonstrated, for the first time in France, high levels of passively acquired maternal antibodies during the neonatal period, and it allowed us to estimate the duration of passively acquired maternal anti-VZV IgG in French infants. After 4 to 5 months, infants had very low levels of maternal anti-VZV IgG, below the 150-mIU/ml cutoff of the VZV IgG TRFIA.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Hôpital Charles Nicolle, Pôle Mère-Femme-Enfant, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Rouen, 76031 Rouen Cedex, France. Phone: 33 (0) 2 32 88 80 97. Fax: 33 (0) 2 32 88 86 33. E-mail: didier.pinquier{at}chu-rouen.fr
Published ahead of print on 28 January 2009.
Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, April 2009, p. 484-487, Vol. 16, No. 4
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/CVI.00397-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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