The Frequency of Igg Anti-Varicella and Anti-Rubella Antibodies in Female Students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran Publisher



Hashemi SMA¹ ; Alipour AH^{1, 2} ; Khatab Z¹ ; Maleki S¹ ; Nekooei F¹ ; Dashtizadeh F¹ ; Daryabor GR³ ; Kalantar K^{3, 4} ; Salimi V⁵ ; Sarvari J^{1, 6}
Source: Infezioni in Medicina Published:2023

Abstract

Background: As infection with rubella and varicella-zoster viruses (VZV) can lead to congenital syndrome and its dangerous complications, assessing immunity to these congenital infections can represent the biologi-cal risk assessment related to their exposure in high-risk groups. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of IgG anti-varicella/rubella antibodies (Abs) in female students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), Iran. Patients and Methods: In this study, a total of 434 female students were included. Sera were isolated from blood samples and stored at-20°C for later analysis. A questionnaire form was documented and contained demo-graphic data as well as the history of vaccinations. Enrolled students were divided into recipients of either one or two doses of the measles/rubella (MR) vaccine. Serum samples were analyzed for rubella and VZV IgG Abs using commercial IgG immunoassays. Results: The students were 21.6±4.25 years old on aver-age. Out of the 434 enrolled students, 292 (67.3%) and 287 (66.1%) students were positive for anti-varicella and anti-rubella IgG-Abs, respectively. The frequency of anti-rubella IgG Ab was significantly higher in those who received one dose of MR vaccine (P<0.001). In ad-dition, 205 (47.2%) and 59 (13.6%) students were dou-ble-positive (anti-varicella/rubella IgG Abs) and dou-ble-negative, respectively. Conclusion: Our results indicated that an additional dose of rubella vaccine may be required for those who received two doses of the vaccine. In addition, we rec-ommend the inclusion of the VZV vaccine in Iran’s routine vaccination program. Further studies are recom-mended to verify these results. © 2023, EDIMES Edizioni Medico Scientifiche. All rights reserved.