Karl E. Groth

ACYCLOVIR THERAPY FOR MUCOCUTANEOUS HERPES SIMPLEX INFECTIONS IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS

11 of 24 immunocompromised patients with mucocutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections were given intravenous acyclovir in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study. Patients receiving acyclovir experienced no major adverse effects. The median times to cessation of new lesion formation, lesion crusting, lesion healing, cessation of pain, and termination of viral shedding were shorter in the acyclovir-treated group than in the placebo group. The time-to-event probability curves for the acyclovir and placebo groups were significantly different for cessation of pain (p=0.032) and termination of viral shedding (p=0.004). The median times to termination of viral shedding were also statistically different (p=0.045). Acyclovir seems to be a non-toxic and effective treatment for mucocutaneous HSV infections in immunocompromised patients.

RUBELLA VIRAEMIA AND ANTIBODY RESPONSES AFTER RUBELLA VACCINATION AND REIMMUNISATION

Eleven 4-13 year old schoolgirls, who were seronegative by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) tests despite having been given HPV77-DE5 vaccine 3-9 years previously, were revaccinated with RA27/3. They showed evidence of residual immunity since they had accelerated immune responses, little or no rubella-specific IgM, no viraemia, and no vaccine-induced reactions. In contrast, all but one of the five adult women who were primary vaccinees showed a more delayed immune response. Three of four women tested had viraemia and two had vaccine-induced reactions. Enhanced HI and enhanced RIA showed that many of the schoolgirls had antibody before challenge, as did a fifth adult, who also showed an accelerated immune response, yet became viraemic.

Zoster immune plasma prophylaxis of varicella: A follow-up report

VARICELLA can be a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients. Because a large number of patients with primary or acquired immunodeficiencies are cared for at the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Center, we found it desirable to maintain a supply of zoster immune plasma for attempted prevention of varicelia in such patients. The results of ZIP prophylaxis in 31 of our immunocompromised patients were recently published? The present report expands our study to 50 patients, describes the kinetics of passively transferred varicella-zoster virus antibodies, and provides data suggesting that plasma should be transfused as soon as possible after exposure.