Increased incidence of herpes zoster in patients on renal replacement therapy cannot be explained by intrinsic defects of cellular or humoral immunity to varicella-zoster virus

Increased incidence of herpes zoster in patients receiving RRT cannot be explained by intrinsic defects of cellular or humoral immunity to VZV as measured by the methods used in this study, although older age and previous transplantation were associated with decreased cellular immunity to VZV. Herpes zoster susceptibility might be caused by a diminished function of otherwise capable T cells in a uremic environment.