Varicella and Herpes Zoster: Differences in Antibody Response Revealed by the Platelet Aggregation Technique

Abstract

Sera from 25 patients with herpes zoster, 8 patients with varicella and 124 healthy medical students were tested for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antibodies by platelet aggregation (Pl.A.) and complement fixation (CF) techniques. The sera of 3 898 hospital patients were also tested for CF antibodies. All patients with herpes zoster showed high or moderate titers of both Pl.A.- and CF-reactive VZV antibodies. Four patients with uncomplicated varicella seroconverted with the CF technique but remained negative in the Pl.A. test Four other patients with post-varicella encephalitis developed antibodies that were detectable also by the Pl.A. method. Among sera of medical students 14.5–31% reacted in the Pl.A. test and only 4% in the CF test The highest percentage of CF-reactive antibodies in hospital patients was 7% in the age group 11–20 years. The low incidence of CF-reactive VZV antibodies in the population may reflect the nature of the antigen prepared in green monkey kidney cells. The findings with the Pl.A. method are in good agreement with the concept that herpes zoster is a manifestation of a secondary experience with VZV.