EINLEITUNG

The alphaWell VZV ELISAs are intended for the qualitative determination of IgG, IgM and IgA class antibodies against Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) in serum or plasma.

Varicella Zoster Virus (Humanes Herpesvirus Typ 3, HHV3) causes the primary infection chickenpox, which can then recidivate as zoster (shingles).

Varicella-Zoster Virus is highly contagious and is transmitted aerogenically. The primary infection (chickenpox) is still almost exclusively a childhood disease today. Like with all herpesviruses a Varicella-Zoster virus infection leads to a lifelong persistence.

The portal of entry is the nasopharyngeal space and the conjunctiva. From there, the virus undergoes a viremic phase in which it is transported by the blood to the skin, where the typical exanthema is produced. The disease confers an effective immunity. In immunodeficient patient, a VZV infection (or reaction) can affect other organs (lungs, brain) and manifest a severe, frequently lethal, course.

The initial infection with VZV manifests in the great majority of persons as chickenpox, an episodic papulous exanthem. After the symptoms of chickenpox have abated, the VZV persists in the spinal ganglia and perhaps in other tissues as well. Following reactivation, zoster (shingles) develops, whereby the virus once again spreads neurogenically and causes neuralgia as well as the typical zoster efflorescence in the skin segment supplied by the sensitive nerves. Reactivation is induced by internal or external influences and becomes possible when cellular VZV immunity drops off, after about of the age of 45 assuming normal immune defences.

Infections may be diagnosed by

• Microscopy, PCR
• Serology: Determination of specific antibodies based on the ELISA-technique

ANTIGENE

Purified Varicella-Zoster-Virus antigens

SPEZIFISCHE LEISTUNGSMERKMALE

HANDELSFORM