title: Enzyme immunoassay for antibodies to membrane associated antigen of varicella zoster virus.
abstract: An in situ enzyme immunoassay to viral membrane antigen was developed to enable the specific estimation of antibodies to varicella zoster (VZ) virus. The technique was compared with a modified fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen (FAMA) procedure and with the complement fixation (CF) test by parallel assay of 352 plasma samples. The enzyme immunoassay (EIA) procedure showed very good correlation with the modified FAMA procedure, and both were far more specific than the CF test. This specificity was achieved by the use, in the EIA, of VZ virus-infected cells grown and fixed in situ with glutaraldehyde. Thus the only virus antigens accessible to antibody were the VZ-specific antigens expressed at the cell membrane, cross-reactions with herpes simplex virus antibodies thereby being avoided.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology*; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000956:Antigens, Viral