Abstract
The immune response to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) includes antibody (Ab) to virally-specified proteins (P) and glycoproteins (GP). We analyzed Ab after chickenpox (CP), zoster (Z), and live attenuated varicella vaccine (LAW) by western blot (WB). Responses to 2 of the 3 major GPs were identified by comparing bands on standard WBs using infected VZV cell lysate as antigen with a reference WB in which Z serum was reacted with purified GP I and GP II. A mouse monoclonal Ab to GP I confirmed its location, and all 3 GPs were visualized on silver stain of SDS-polyacrylamide gel. Preimmune sera and an uninfected cell lysate were controls. All convalescent sera from patients with CP(N=5) had antibody to GP I (bands at 99 and 92 kilodaltons [kd]), GP II (125 kd), and GP III (113 kd). In addition 5/5 had a strong band at 147 kd and 4/5 had a band at 39 kd, near the molec. wt. of VZV deoxypyrimidine kinase. Bands were well-preserved to GP I in 5 remote CP sera, but faint at GP II and III and at 147 kd. In 7/8 pts. post Z, bands at all 3 GPs and at 39 kd were darker than after recent CP despite equivalent fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen (FAMA) liters. Z sera also had bands at 51, 48, 46, and 43 which were absent or faint post CP. After 2 doses of LAW, 10/11 vaccinees had bands at GP I. Fewer (6/11) had a band at GP II and only 3/11 had a band at GP III. However.the WBs of 4 vaccinees after breakthrough CP were similar in intensity and band location to WBs post Z. Ten leukemic children who lost FAMA Ab after LAW and later reseroconverted without clinical illness also had WBs resembling the anamnestic profile seen post Z. Even when FAMA negative, these silent FAMA reconverted were protected from serious CP. WB is useful in distinguishing secondary from primary immune response to VZV.
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Dubey, L., Gershon, A., Steinberg, S. et al. CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIBODIES TO VARICELLAZOSTER VIRUS BY WESTERN BLOT. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 323 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00937
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00937