The link between varicella and immune system: which children will develop acute cerebellitis?
Elena Bozzola1, Rita Carsetti2, Eva Piano Mortari2
1Pediatric and Infectious Diseases Unit, University/hospital Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy. elena.bozzola@opbg.net.
Insights
Children hospitalized for varicella cerebellitis often have underlying immune system defects. This study found immunological alterations in 80% of patients, suggesting a link between sub-clinical immune issues and this complication.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Varicella (chickenpox) can lead to cerebellitis, a serious complication requiring hospitalization in children.
- The immune status of children experiencing varicella cerebellitis has not been thoroughly investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if children with a history of varicella cerebellitis possess a normal immune system.
- To identify potential correlations between immune system function and the occurrence of varicella cerebellitis.
Main Methods:
- A follow-up study was conducted on pediatric patients diagnosed with varicella cerebellitis.
- Immune status was assessed through clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations.
- Patients were analyzed based on the timing of their follow-up appointment relative to the acute illness.
Main Results:
- Twenty-five patients diagnosed with varicella cerebellitis were included in the study.
- Immunological alterations were detected in 80% of the patients at follow-up.
- Similar rates of immunological alterations were observed regardless of whether follow-up occurred within one year (75%) or after one year (84.6%) of the acute event.
Conclusions:
- Sub-clinical immunological defects appear to be associated with cerebellitis in varicella patients.
- These findings suggest that impaired immune function may predispose children to developing varicella cerebellitis.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific immune mechanisms involved.
Introduction:
Varicella may complicate with cerebellitis in previously healthy children, requiring hospitalization. Aim of our study was to define whether children who experienced varicella cerebellitis have a normal immune system.
Methods:
Patients over 3 years of age admitted at Bambino Gesù Children from January 2006 till June 2016 for cerebellitis in varicella were asked to participate to the follow-up study. The immune status was evaluated clinically and by laboratory investigations.
Results:
Twenty-five patients were included in the study. At follow up, at least one immunological alteration was detected in 80% of patients. To avoid bias due to possible effects of the recent disease, we separately analyzed patients who had the follow-up control at least 1 year (Group 1) or between 1 month and 1 year (Group 2) after the hospitalization for acute varicella cerebellitis. The results were similar in both groups with immunological alterations detected in 84,6 and 75% of the patients, respectively.
Conclusions:
Our preliminary results indicate that sub-clinical immunological defects may correlate to cerebellitis in varicella.
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