ASSAYS FOR ANTIBODIES TO VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS
Section snippets
VZV COMPOSITION AND ROLE OF GLYCOPROTEINS IN PROTECTION FROM DISEASE
The VZV genome contains 71 open reading frames and encodes at least 67 potential distinct genes. Up to 33 VZV-specific proteins and 13 glycoproteins (gps) have been detected by pulse labeling or immunoprecipitation with hyperimmune neutralizing guinea pig antiserum or monoclonal antibodies.10 There are at least six gps that have been found both on the surface of infected cells and in the viral membrane. The gps referred to previously as gp I, II, III, IV, V, and VI are now identified as gE, gB,
General Comments
Many assays have been used to measure anti-VZV antibodies as an indicator of prior or recurrent infection, to predict susceptibility to disease, and to evaluate immune responses to vaccination. These assays include anticomplement immunofluorescence,70 complement fixation (CF),6, 7, 16, 26, 37, 41, 45, 66, 83, 88, 103 immune adherence hemagglutination (IAHA),26, 30, 33, 45, 82, 100, 107 passive hemagglutination (PHA),14, 45, 46 radioimmunoassay (RIA),2, 12, 37, 41, 71 immunoblot (IB),15, 21, 37,
ASSAY COMPARISONS
A large number of studies have been performed both to develop serologic assays and to compare them with other assays. Representative studies and key observations are listed in Table 1. Also indicated is whether these comparisons included sera from vaccinees.
These comparative studies establish the relative sensitivities of different assays for measuring antibody following varicella or vaccination; these reveal differences in the quality of antibodies detected in each assay. For the purposes of
ANALYSIS OF ANTIBODY QUALITY
Evaluation of antibody quality has included studies of avidity, the quality or characteristics of the antigen used to detect antibody, antibody subclass, and specificity (cross-reactions with related viruses).
CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR ANTIBODY ASSAY DEVELOPMENT
A wide variety of serologic assays has been used over the last 30 years for the measurement of anti-VZV antibodies. Although many of these have proved suitable for measuring immune responses following infection, only a limited number have been applied successfully to monitor seroconversions following immunization. Although the FAMA and enhanced Nt assays, which measure antibodies to viral gps, have served as reference standards for the sensitive and specific measurement of antibodies
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author thanks Paul M. Keller and Ronald W. Ellis for helpful discussions and critical review of the manuscript and Peg Bilbrough for typing assistance.
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Cited by (60)
Sensitivity and specificity of different antibody tests for detecting varicella-zoster virus
2020, Journal of Infection and ChemotherapyVaricella-zoster-virus vaccination of immunosuppressed children with inflammatory bowel disease or autoimmune hepatitis: A prospective observational study
2020, VaccineCitation Excerpt :However, we found a lower RAI in patients vaccinated during ongoing IS compared to those who had a wild-type varicella infection. Antibody responses following immunization with the attenuated vaccine strain of VZV are typically approximately one-tenth of the antibody response achieved after natural wild-type varicella infection [48]. Accordingly, postvaccination VZV-IgG concentrations in children with IBD or AIH are less in magnitude in contrast to wild-type VZV infection, and this is independent of IS therapy [12].
Varicella zoster virus antibody detection: A comparison of four commonly used techniques
2016, Journal of Infection and ChemotherapyCitation Excerpt :The study design was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hyogo College of Medicine and followed the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. The following VZV immunity assays were performed as described previously: IAHA [7–9], FAMA [2,10], and gpELISA [11,12]. IAHA antigen was purchased from Denka Seiken Co., Tokyo (CF antigen) and prepared by the destruction of virus-infected cells.
Reduced varicella-zoster-virus (VZV)-specific lymphocytes and IgG antibody avidity in solid organ transplant recipients
2013, VaccineCitation Excerpt :Cut-offs for positive IgG-anti-VZV concentrations depend very much on the laboratory and the methods used [4–6]. Importantly, to date no clear correlation between IgG-anti-VZV antibody concentrations and protection against infection exists, particularly for vaccinated individuals [7,8] for whom a >10-fold lower antibody response was reported after VZV vaccination compared to wild-type infection [9]. In pregnant women exposed to chickenpox, those with IgG-anti-VZV concentrations <100 mIU/mL were more likely to develop acute VZV infection [10].
Comparison of a commercial Varicella Zoster glycoprotein IgG enzyme immunoassay with a reference time resolved fluorescence immunoassay (VZV TRFIA) for measuring VZV IgG in sera from pregnant women, sera sent for confirmatory testing and pre and post vOka vaccination sera from healthcare workers
2012, Journal of Clinical VirologyCitation Excerpt :Both groups of sera showed good correlation with VZV TRFIA and few, if any, published studies have investigated similar highly challenging panels of sera. Measuring VZV IgG following vaccination has proven problematic for tests other than FAMA20 because antibody responses following immunization with vOka are of the order ten-fold lower than those achieved following natural VZV infection.21 An “in house” VZV IgG gp EIA (Merck gp EIA)22,23 has been developed by Merck and Co. to measure VZV-specific antibody responses following immunization with VZV-containing vaccines.
Address reprint requests to David L. Krah, PhD Department of Virus and Cell Biology Merck Research Laboratories Sumneytown Pike West Point, PA 19486
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From the Department of Virus and Cell Biology, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, Pennsylvania