Background: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human neurotropic virus, that becomes latent in nerve ganglia. VZV infection rarely occurs after kidney transplantation but causes severe clinical features and is associated with higher mortality rates. This study was performed to survey the reports on the seroprevalence of VZV IgG antibodies in kidney transplant recipients.
Material and methods: Relevant studies were obtained by an online review of international databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google scholar), and suitable studies were selected. The NOS checklist was used for the quality assessment of the selected studies. Heterogeneity assay among the primary studies was conducted by Cochran's Q test and I2 index (significance level 50%). Statistical analysis was performed using the Comprehensive Stata software (Version 14 package).
Results: Seroprevalence of VZV IgG in transplant recipients has been reported in ten studies. After combining the results of preliminary studies using a random effect model, the overall estimate of IgG positivity to VZV in transplant recipients was obtained equal to 98%.
Conclusion: In this study, our results demonstrated that VZV is a prevalent infectious agent in kidney transplant recipients. A prophylactic vaccine may provide an effective strategy for preventing VZV in renal transplant recipients and also provide prophylaxis against the occurrence of post-herpetic neuralgia in immunocompetent patients.
Keywords: IgG antibody; Kidney transplant recipients; Meta-analysis; VZV.
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