Inhibition of antibody formation in intrauterine varicella virus infection.

Serological and clinical follow-up of 35 pregnancies complicated with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection showed insufficient antibody response in 2 children with undetectable IgG levels in ELISA and indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test. Secondary infection with VZV at the age of 4 1/2 years of the first child and inapparent infection at the age of 4 years and 3 months in the second child born with congenital varicella lead to seroconversion against VZV. None of the children in question developed acquired varicella primoinfection.

A laboratory study of age-related varicella incidence and prevalence in the Czech Socialist Republic.

During 1972-1981, ten representative population samples totalling 2,916 individuals were tested for antibodies to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) by an indirect-haemagglutination assay (IHA). Statistical analysis of the results provided estimates of age-related varicella prevalence and incidence rates. It transpired that 45% of the child population had encountered varicella at preschool age and another 45% during the attendance of school.

Antibody prophylaxis of varicella in immunosuppressed patients.

ZIG prophylaxis was administered to a total of 39 children immunosuppressed under antitumour therapy and presenting a negative varicella history. Varicella developed in only 2 of them. 47 children received a substitutive prophylaxis consisting of ordinary gammaglobulin NORGA.

Effect of maternal varicella-zoster virus infection on the outcome of pregnancy and the analysis of transplacental virus transmission.

In result of 20 pregnancies complicated by varicella 11 healthy and 6 defective offspring were born, 2 pregnancies were aborted by the physician and one pregnancy terminated by stillbirth of 3 siblings. Laboratory investigation of 16 pregnancies has shown that transplacental transfer of varicella-zoster (VZ) virus did not occur in 13 cases (81.2%).

Rapid assay for antibodies to Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) using a VZV-HEM preparation.

A freeze-dried, formalized-erythrocytes-bound VZV antigen for indirect haemagglutination, VZV-HEM, was prepared. It was used to test serologically 46 children, all of them patients of Prague paediatric clinics, with a known history of chickenpox. For comparison, the same sera were tested by the indirect haemagglutination reaction with freshly prepared VZV antigen and by ELISA.