Circulating Immune Complexes and Complement-fixing Antibodies in Patients with Varicella-Zoster Infection: Relationship to Début of the Disease

Abstract

Serum samples from 32 varicella-zoster (VZ)-infected patients were examined for circulating immune complexes (IC) within 1 1/2 week after début of the skin rash as well as during the following 5 weeks. Three test systems were used: a complement consumption (CC) assay, a C1q solid phase (C1q-SP) assay and a polyclonal rheumatoid factor-binding (pRF-I) assay. The CC and pRF-I assays were the most effective in detecting large IgG aggregates or IC, while aggregates of intermediate and small size were more easily demonstrated in the C1q-SP assay. IC were demonstrated in at least 2 assays simultaneously in 16 patients. Four of these patients were IC-positive in both observation periods, while 11 converted to IC-positive in the second observation interval. In 3 patients circulating IC were demonstrable as late as 8–10 weeks after the appearance of the skin rash. Maximal levels of complement-fixing antibodies to VZ antigens were observed 2 to 5 weeks after the appearance of the rash.