All issues > Volume 34(9); 1991

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1991;34(9):1255-1260. Published online September 30, 1991.

Immune response induced by live attenuated varicella vaccine(Biken@) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Hyo Seop Ahn¹, Joong Gon Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Received: May 3, 1991;  Accepted: June 2, 1991.

Abstract

To determine the safety and efficacy of varicella vaccine, we studied 10 healthy children and 12 children in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They were immunized with the Oka strain of live attenuated varicella vaccine (Biken®). All the healthy children and 6 children with leukemia received the vaccine of 1,000 plaque-forming units (PFU), and 6 leukemic children received the vaccine of 500 PFU. The antibody titers were measured before and 6 weeks after immunization with use of enzyme immunoassay. Seroconversion occurred in 90% of the 10 healthy children, 83% of 6 leukemic children receiving the vaccine of 1,000 PFU and 33% of 6 leukemic children receiving the vaccine of 500 PFU. The rashes and vesicles related to immunization were observed in 33% of leukemic children receiving the vaccine of 1,000 PFU and in 11% of leukemic children receiving the vaccine of 500 PFU. The rashes and vesicles were observed almost 25~26 days after the immunization. These reactions were not fatal or were not associated with the relapse of leukemia. The rashes were not observed in all the healthy children. Chickenpox has been documented in 2 seropositive children, one healthy child (11%) and one leukemic child receiving the vaccine of 1,000 PFU (20%). We conclude that varicella vaccine is safe and induces an immunity to chickenpox.

Keywords :Live Attenuated Varicella Vaccine;Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia;Immunization;Chickenpox