AUTHOR=Xiao Peifang , Cai Jiaoyang , Gao Ju , Gao Wei , Guan Xianmin , Leung Alex Wing Kwan , He Yiying , Zhuang Yong , Chu Jinhua , Zhai Xiaowen , Qi Benquan , Liu Aiguo , Yang Liangchun , Zhu Jiashi , Li Zheng , Tian Xin , Xue Yao , Hao Li , Wu Xuedong , Zhou Fen , Wang Lingzhen , Tang Jingyan , Shen Shuhong , Hu Shaoyan 

TITLE=A prospective multicenter study on varicella-zoster virus infection in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.981220

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2022.981220

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background and methods</title><p>The study evaluated prognostic factors associated with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection and mortality in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using data from the multicenter Chinese Children’s Cancer Group ALL-2015 trial.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>In total, 7,640 patients were recruited, and 138 cases of VZV infection were identified. The incidence of VZV infection was higher in patients aged ≥ 10 years (22.5%) and in patients with the <italic>E2A/PBX1</italic> fusion gene (11.6%) compared to those aged &lt; 10 years (13.25%, <italic>P</italic> = 0.003) or with other fusion genes (4.9%, <italic>P</italic> = 0.001). Of the 10 deaths in children with ALL and VZV infection, 4 resulted from VZV complications. The differences between groups in the 5-year overall survival, event-free survival, cumulative recurrence, and death in remission were not statistically significant. The proportion of complex infection was higher in children with a history of exposure to someone with VZV infection (17.9% vs. 3.6%, <italic>P</italic> = 0.022).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>VZV exposure was associated with an increased incidence of complex VZV infection and contributed to VZV-associated death in children with ALL.</p></sec>