Assessment of VZV-specific ELISPOT Assay for Predicting VZV Infection in Kidney Transplant Recipients (AVE-KT)

Assessment of VZV-specific ELISPOT Assay for Predicting VZV Infection in Kidney Transplant Recipients (AVE-KT)

VZV is one of the important opportunistic infection in transplant recipients.Until now, there is no laboratory method to stratify the risk of VZV reactivation after solid organ transplantation. Theoretically, VZV-specific cell-mediate immune response before solid organ transplantation will further categorize the patients into high or low risk of VZV development after solid organ transplantation. The investigators thus evaluate the usefulness of VZV-specific ELISPOT assay in kidney transplant candidates to predict the development of VZV infection after kidney transplantation.

We will develop VZV-specific ELISPOT assay, then perform this assay before transplantation. We will evaluate whether this assay will predict zoster reactivation after transplantation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 16 years or more
• agree with written informed consent
• WBC count 2000/uL or more

Exclusion Criteria:

• no exclusion criteria