Detection of antibodies to varicella-zoster virus proteins in sera from the elderly.

Sera from 40 elderly individuals ranging in age from 60 to 94 years were tested for the presence of antibodies to varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-specific proteins. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of lysates of VZV-infected BSC-1 cells labeled with either [35S]methionine or [3H]mannose and immunoprecipitated with human sera revealed the variable presence of VZV-specific antibodies to four VZV glycoproteins (gpI, gpII, gpIII, and gpIV), and three nonglycosylated proteins (155, 140, 32 kilodaltons, kDa). The predominant antibody response in the sera from the elderly was to VZV gpII and the 155-kDa species. In addition, some sera from elderly individuals without an identifiable history of varicella or zoster contained antibodies to VZV proteins, suggesting a possible subclinical infection in these patients. Finally a history of zoster in the elderly was significantly correlated (p = 0.02) with the presence of antibody to gpIV.