title: A practical method for preparation of varicella-zoster immune globulin.
abstract: Outdated blood from blood banks in Massachusetts was screened for complement-fixing antibody to varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Approximately 15% of the plasma units had a titer greater than or equal to 16, and one-half of these had a titer of greater than or equal to 32. Plasma units with titers of CF antibody to VZV of greater than or equal to 16 were pooled. This pool had a CF antibody titer of 32 and a titer of fluorescent antibody of 64. Varicella-zoster immune globulin was prepared from the selected plasma pool by alcohol fractionation and analyzed for VZV-specific antibody. Varicella-zoster immune globulin had a fluorescent antibody titer of 2,048 and a neutralizing antibody titer of 1,024. This antibody concentration is equivalent to that in preparations of zoster immune globulin made from plasma of donors recovering from recent VZV infection.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D008722:Methods; D009500:Neutralization Tests
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007106:Immune Sera