A live attenuated zoster vaccine (ZOSTAVAX(TM), Merck & Co., Inc.) was approved by the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2009. However, the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine has not been assessed in Korean population. This is multi-center, open-label, single-arm study performed with 180 healthy Korean adults > or =50 yr of age. The geometric mean titer (GMT) and geometric mean fold rise (GMFR) of varicella zoster virus (VZV) antibodies were measured by glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (gpELISA) at 4 weeks post-vaccination. Subjects were followed for exposure to varicella or herpes zoster (HZ), the development of any varicella/varicella-like or HZ/HZ-like rashes, and any other clinical adverse experiences (AEs) for 42 days post-vaccination. For the 166 subjects included in the per-protocol population, the GMT at Day 1 was 66.9. At 4 weeks post-vaccination, the GMT for this population was 185.4, with a GMFR of 2.8 (95% CI, 2.5-3.1). Of the 180 subjects vaccinated, 62.8% experienced > or =1 AE, with 53.3% of subjects reporting injection-site AEs. The most frequently reported injection-site AEs were erythema (45.0%) with the majority being mild in intensity. Overall, 44 (24.4%) subjects experienced > or =1 systemic AE, 10 (5.5%) subjects experienced a systemic vaccine-related AE, and 3 (1.7%) subjects experienced > or =1 serious AE not related to vaccine. No subjects reported a VZV-like rash. There was no subject of death and no subject discontinued due to an adverse event. A single dose of zoster vaccine induced VZV-specific gpELISA antibody response and was generally well-tolerated in healthy Korean adults > or =50 yr of age (registry at www.clinicaltrial.gov No. NCT01556451).
Aged ; Antibodies, Viral/blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Erythema/etiology ; Female ; Herpes Zoster/*prevention & control ; Herpes Zoster Vaccine/adverse effects/*immunology ; Herpesvirus 3, Human/immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

This study was designed to assess the immune status of the Korean population against varicella-zoster virus (VZV) through a seroepidemiologic study. Residual blood samples were collected from diagnostic laboratories throughout Korea. Samples were collected in October 2009 to March 2010 from persons 0-79 yr of age and were tested by ELISA (Enzygnost(R); Dade Behring, Schwalbach, Germany). Total seroprevalence in subjects 1-79 yr of age was 89.6%. Seroprevalence increased as age increased from 67.3% in subjects 1-4 yr of age to 94.2% in subjects 10-14 yr of age and in subjects over 20 yr of age seroprevalence ranged from 98.0% to 100%. In children under 1 yr of age, passive immunity waned after birth with none of the subjects having antibodies from 7 months of age and over. Among subjects 1-79 yr of age, susceptible subjects to VZV were mainly under 20 yr of age. These results provide information in understanding the dynamics of varicella disease in Korea, which is important in building up strategies for disease control.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Viral/analysis ; Chickenpox/*epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Herpes Zoster/*epidemiology ; Herpesvirus 3, Human/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Young Adult

A 55-year-old woman presented with diplopia following painful skin eruptions on the right upper extremity. On presentation, she was found to have 35 prism diopters of esotropia and an abduction limitation in the left eye. Two weeks later, she developed blepharoptosis and anisocoria with a smaller pupil in the right eye, which increased in the darkness. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed pleocytosis and a positive result for immunoglobulin G antibody to varicella zoster virus. She was diagnosed to have zoster meningitis with Horner's syndrome and contralateral abducens nerve palsy. After intravenous antiviral and steroid treatments, the vesicular eruptions and abducens nerve palsy improved. Horner's syndrome and diplopia resolved after six months. Here we present the first report of Horner's syndrome and contralateral abducens nerve palsy associated with zoster meningitis.
Abducens Nerve Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology ; Antibodies, Viral/*analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Electromyography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Herpes Zoster/*complications/diagnosis/virology ; Herpesvirus 3, Human/*immunology ; Horner Syndrome/diagnosis/*etiology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningitis/*complications/diagnosis/virology ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed