ASSAYS FOR ANTIBODIES TO VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS

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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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    Address reprint requests to David L. Krah, PhD Department of Virus and Cell Biology Merck Research Laboratories Sumneytown Pike West Point, PA 19486

    *

    From the Department of Virus and Cell Biology, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, Pennsylvania

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