Specific IgM antibody in serum of patients with herpes zoster infections.
Specific IgM varicella-zoster antibody was detected in "convalescent" sera from 20 out of 40 patients (50%) with herpes zoster infections. Since these were not primary infections with varicella-zoster virus, it seems that detection of IgM antibody specific for a particular virus may not differentiate a primary infection from secondary infections with that virus.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M