An enzyme immunossay (EIA) was adapted for detection of antibody to varicella-zoster virus, and its sensitivity and specificity were compared with those of neutralization, immune adherence hemagglutination (IAHA), and complement fixation tests. Test sera showed little nonspecific reactivity in the EIA system, and valid results could usually be obtained at serum dilutions as low as 1:8. Demonstr...

OBJECTIVES The history behind the current understanding of the varicella-zoster virus and its relationship to the pain conditions caused by shingles and postherpetic neuralgia are reviewed. The framework for the current conceptualization is Hope-Simpson's latency hypothesis. Data from recent work in virology, neuroanatomy and epidemiology are reviewed, as is work using varicella-zoster virus-in...

Standard cell culture and centrifugation culture were compared for the isolation of varicella-zoster virus from 337 clinical specimens. Of a total of 85 (25%) positive specimens, 67 (78.8%) were positive by centrifugation culture alone and 18 (21.2%) were positive by both methods. When epithelial cells from the specimen were included in the vial inoculum, these cells stained positive and increa...

Lymphadenitis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria is an uncommon manifestation in immunocompetent individuals. Here, we report a case of Mycobacterium fortuitum infection in a previously healthy 9-year-old patient who developed cervical lymphadenitis evolving to a suppurative ulcer associated with a varicella-zoster virus infection. We discuss the relationship between the varicella-zoster vi...

Herpes zoster is caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus that resides in a dorsal root ganglion. Herpes zoster can develop any time after a primary infection. Because varicella vaccine is a live attenuated virus, herpes zoster can develop in a vaccine recipient. The incidence of herpes zoster among vaccine recipients is about 14 cases per 100,000 person-years. In young children,...

The subclass specificities of antiviral immunoglobulin G (IgG) produced in response to herpes simplex and varicella-zoster virus infections were investigated. IgG1 and IgG3 with anti-herpes simplex virus activity were seen in patients with primary and reactivated disease, as well as in healthy seropositive subjects and in immunoglobulin preparations. IgG4 was occasionally seen alone or together...

Glycoprotein gp118, one of the major glycosylated proteins specified by varicella-zoster virus, is biologically of great importance since it possesses an epitope which elicits a complement-independent neutralizing antibody response. To purify this glycoprotein from a Nonidet-solubilized extract of varicella-zoster virus-infected cells, we examined its affinity to a variety of ligands, including...

Vernet syndrome involves the IX, X, and XI cranial nerves and is most often attributable to malignancy, aneurysm or skull base fracture. Although there have been several reports on Vernet's syndrome caused by fracture and inflammation, cases related to varicella-zoster virus are rare and have not yet been reported in South Korea. A 32-year-old man, who complained of left ear pain, hoarse voice ...

Edema bullae typically forms at the site of skin swelling during acute states of volume overload, most commonly during renal or cardiac failure. Herpes zoster is a reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus that typically presents as painful vesicles in a dermatomal distribution. In immunocompromised individuals, disseminated herpes zoster skin manifestations may occur with several lesions i...

An indirect hemagglutination test has been adapted for use with varicella-zoster serology. Antigen was made in infected WI-38 human diploid cell line. The indirect hemagglutination antigen seemed to be a subunit of the virus particle. The antibodies measured in the test are well correlated with neutralizing and complement-fixing antibodies in cases of zoster but not in cases of varicella.