VZV titre levels and the association with asymptomatic HSV infection
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does the chickenpox virus give protection against symptomatic genital herpes virus infection? A case-control study
IRAS ID
260102
Contact name
Bret Palmer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
R&D Department Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
Herpes Simplex Infection (HSV) is ubiquitous among the human population. The majority of the population who have been exposed may have a primary or first clinical outbreak. This may then be followed by subsequent reducing outbreaks resulting in most individuals having asymptomatic shedding. However a small percentage of the population experience recurrent symptomatic outbreaks with each outbreak being as painful as the primary (first) outbreak. It is not known why some individuals experience these chronic symptoms.
The Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), which is the causative virus for chicken pox and singles, behaves in a similar manner to HSV. Recently there have been reports that an individual who has had severe recurrent HSV has been successfully treated with VZV vaccine. This raises the possibility of a safe, quick, and cheap treatment for symptomatic HSV by a VZV vaccination course (two doses) instead of the current treatment of daily suppressive therapy. This paper aims to test this hypothesis by measuring the VZV and HSV titres in symptomatic patients and to compare these titre levels in asymptomatic patients. If there is a difference then this could open up the possibility of symptomatic HSV patients to be able to control their HSV symptoms by giving a low cost VZV vaccine for the treatment of recurrent symptomatic genital HSV infection.
This study should be completed within a year with the samples being collected at the Sexual Health Centre at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. If the data shows a positive result then consideration would be given to move forward to either a feasibility open study with the VZV vaccine or directly to a phase 3 RCT.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0458
Date of REC Opinion
4 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion