title: Detection of specific IgA antibodies to varicella zoster virus in serum of patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
abstract: Varicella zoster virus (VZV)-specific IgG and IgA antibody titers were determined in serial serum samples of 23 patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome by the immunoperoxidase assay. Varicella zoster virus-specific IgG antibodies were found in the first serum samples of all the patients. In 80% of 20 patients in whom a serum sample was available within 5 days after the onset of the disease. VZV-specific IgA antibodies were detected. The second serum sample was VZV-specific IgA-positive in all of the patients. While all the healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects had VZV-specific IgG antibodies, VZV-specific IgA antibodies were detected in a low titer (dilution = 2) in only three of the subjects. By using VZV-specific IgA antibody titers greater than or equal to 2 and greater than or equal to 4 by the immunoperoxidase assay as a "cutoff" for younger and older patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, respectively, an early diagnosis of the disease can be obtained in 89% of the younger and in 64% of the older patients by a single serum sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah-Tiqva, Israel.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hadar
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tovi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sidi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarov
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sarov
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002648:Child; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A