Abstract
An 11-year-old girl presented with a papulovesicular rash and severe respiratory distress 5 weeks after receiving varicella vaccine. Restriction fragment length-polymorphism analysis of virus isolated from an endotracheal-tube aspirate and from bronchoalveolar lavage revealed that this patient's illness was due to the Oka vaccine strain of varicella. An extensive immunologic analysis failed to identify a known diagnostic entity to explain her susceptibility to this attenuated vaccine strain. Analysis of her lymphocytes on separate occasions, months after recovery from her illness, revealed a profound deficiency of natural killer T (NKT) cells and of NKT-cell activity, suggesting that NKT cells contribute to host defense against varicella virus.
Publication types
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Case Reports
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Antigens, Viral / immunology
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Chickenpox Vaccine / adverse effects*
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Chickenpox Vaccine / therapeutic use
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Child
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DNA, Viral / chemistry
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DNA, Viral / genetics
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Female
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Herpes Zoster / immunology*
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Herpes Zoster / pathology
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Herpesvirus 3, Human / genetics
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Herpesvirus 3, Human / immunology*
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Humans
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Immune System / cytology
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Immune System / pathology
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Immunocompromised Host / immunology*
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Killer Cells, Natural / immunology*
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Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
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Vaccination / adverse effects*
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Vaccines, Attenuated / adverse effects
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Vaccines, Attenuated / therapeutic use
Substances
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Antigens, Viral
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Chickenpox Vaccine
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DNA, Viral
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Vaccines, Attenuated