title: Antibodies against varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus deoxythymidine kinase in heterologous infections.
abstract: Antibody responses to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) deoxythymidine kinase (dTK) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) dTK in homologous and heterologous infections were studied. Antibodies blocking the enzymatic activity of VZV-dTK appeared late after varicella and decreased more or less in parallel with the decreasing complement fixing [CF] titre. In herpes zoster, on the other hand, antibodies to VZV-dTK appeared soon after infection. Antibodies against HSV dTKs appeared long after primary infection, but they were subsequently present in all other HSV-CF positive sera. In recurrent HSV, all acute sera were already HSV-dTK antibody positive, and three of nine persons showed an increase in titer between their acute and convalescent sera. Blocking antibodies to VZV-dTK appeared rapidly in specimens from three of 18 individuals positive by an immunofluorescence VZV-immunity test during HSV infection, whereas all other specimens remained devoid of blocking antibodies against VZV-dTK. A rise in antibody titre against HSV-dTK during VZV infections was observed in serum specimens from three of 13 HSV-CF positive patients, whereas an antibody response against HSV-dTK was not found in HSV-CF negative individuals in connection with VZV infections. The relevance of the sporadic increase in the titres of antibodies against heterologous viral dTKs is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Virology, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Källander
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Torfason
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olding-Stenkvist
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Sundqvist
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Diderholm
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gronowitz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012698:Serologic Tests; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013937:Thymidine Kinase