[Passive immunotherapy in herpes zoster. A pilot study with intravenous hyperimmune globulin].

While passive immunisation with hyperimmune globulin proved beneficial for the prevention of varicella infections in immuno-compromised patients, there has been no reliable evidence for such preparations to be effective with the treatment of or prophylaxis against zoster complications. This may be partly due to the minor significance of the humoral immune response in herpes zoster as well as to insufficient bioavailability of the preparation when administered intramuscularly. In an openly and prospectively conducted study, a recently available varicella-zoster hyperimmune globulin was intravenously given to an unselected group of 20 in-patients suffering from herpes zoster. There have not been observed any side effects. If therapy was started within the first week of manifestation of the disease (15 test persons), the patients showed rapid and uncomplicated healing.