Western blot analysis of antibody to varicella-zoster virus

We used western blot (WB) to compare the IgG response to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) after chickenpox (CP), zoster, and administration of a live attenuated varicella vaccine (LAVV). After CP, 13 of 14 normal children had antibody to glycoprotein (gp) I (99 and 92 kilodaltons [kDa]), 11 had antibody to gpII (133 kDa), and 10 had antibody to gpIII (119 kDa). Bands at 150 and 35 kDa were also seen in 13 and 11 sera, respectively. Bands to gpI, gpII, and p35 were more intense after zoster than CP. After one dose of LAVV, eight of eight normal children had gpI antibody. In leukemic children, gpI antibody appeared in 18 (56%) after one dose and in 25 (89%) after two doses. Upon household exposure, leukemic vaccinees who developed CP were less likely than those protected to have prior gpIII and p35 antibodies. As seen after zoster, WBs after breakthrough CP showed intense responses to VZV antigens. Thus, WB helps distinguish secondary from primary antibody responses to VZV.