Psychologic modulation of the human immune response to varicella zoster

Psychologic modulation of the human immune response to varicella zoster.

Psychoimmunology, the interrelationship between the brain/mind/psyche and the immune system, is now an established area of scientific research. Based on prior investigations we hypothesized that an experienced meditator could affect her delayed hypersensitivity reaction by a psychological process. A single-case study design was employed in which the subject was skin tested weekly with varicella...

A Case of Severe Hepatitis due to Varicella Zoster

Genetic resistance factor for HIV-1 and immune response to varicella zoster virus.

A 32 bp deletion in the chemokine receptor CCR5 gene modulates HIV-1 infection. However, whether this CCR5 gene variation modifies immunity to common herpesvirus infections is unknown. We investigated whole blood IgG concentrations of 157 normal adult blood donors. Also we assessed whether the 32 bp deletion of CCR5 (delta32CCR5) was associated with circulating IgG to four herpesviruses: varice...

Cellular and humoral immune responses to varicella-zoster virus in immunocompromised patients during and after varicella-zoster infections.

Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to varicella-zoster (V-Z) virus were assessed in patients during and after V-Z infections. Ongoing V-Z infections was associated with minimal cellular immunity but not necessarily with poor humoral immunity. Recovery from V-Z infection was associated with a vigorous cellular immune response. Cell-mediated immunity to V-Z virus was demonstrable for year...

Varicella-zoster virus vasculopathy: immune characteristics of virus-infected arteries.

OBJECTIVE Pathologic changes in varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-infected arteries include inflammation, thickened intima, and paucity of smooth muscle cells. Since no criteria have been established for early vs late VZV vasculopathy, we examined inflammatory cells and their distribution in 6 normal arteries, and 2 VZV-infected arteries 3 days after onset of disease (early) and 10 months after prot...