Duchateau J, Vrijens R, Nicaise J, D'Hondt E, Bogearts H, Andre F E
Postgrad Med J. 1985;61 Suppl 4:147-50.
Ageing is associated with several immune defects that probably lead to the increased incidence of zoster observed after the 5th decade. In a double-blind study to assess an eventual stimulation of the specific immune response against the varicella-zoster virus by vaccination, either the Oka-strain live varicella vaccine or a placebo was administered to 30 healthy volunteers over 70 years of age, after a 4-week pretreatment period with either zinc acetate as an immunostimulant or a placebo. Specific skin delayed hypersensitivity and antibody levels measured by the fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen method were recorded at the start of the pretreatment period, just before vaccination, and two weeks or one month after vaccination. Initially decreased delayed-type responses to varicella antigens were observed when compared with reported values for younger subjects despite normal levels of skin reactivity to common bacterial antigens (Multitest). The varicella-specific responses were markedly boosted in the 3 groups by repeated skin testing. As a result, the effects of zinc pretreatment and vaccination were masked. On the other hand, treatment with zinc acetate was shown to increase tuberculin delayed reactions. Preexisting specific antibody titres were elevated and no significant changes occurred in the 3 study groups. The data suggest that it is not the potential for an immune response that is decreased in the elderly but rather the speed of the response. This might be the defect responsible for the increased incidence of zoster in this age group.
衰老与多种免疫缺陷相关，这些缺陷可能导致50岁以后带状疱疹发病率增加。在一项双盲研究中，为评估接种疫苗对水痘-带状疱疹病毒特异性免疫反应的最终刺激作用，在以醋酸锌作为免疫刺激剂或安慰剂进行4周预处理后，给30名70岁以上的健康志愿者接种Oka株水痘活疫苗或安慰剂。在预处理期开始时、接种疫苗前以及接种疫苗后两周或一个月，记录通过膜抗原荧光抗体法测量的特异性皮肤迟发型超敏反应和抗体水平。尽管对常见细菌抗原（多重试验）的皮肤反应性正常，但与年轻受试者的报告值相比，最初观察到对水痘抗原的迟发型反应降低。通过重复皮肤试验，3组中水痘特异性反应均显著增强。结果，锌预处理和接种疫苗的效果被掩盖。另一方面，醋酸锌治疗显示可增加结核菌素迟发型反应。预先存在的特异性抗体滴度升高，3个研究组未发生显著变化。数据表明，老年人免疫反应的潜力并未降低，而是反应速度降低。这可能是该年龄组带状疱疹发病率增加的原因。
