The development and evaluation of a solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure for the determination of susceptibility to varicella.

The development of a sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure for the detection of specific antibodies against varicella-zoster (VZV) is described. The test proved to be about 200 times more sensitive than complement fixation (CF) and far more efficient at detecting low levels of antibody in the sera of individuals with past history of varicella. It is suggested that this RIA-VZV test would be suitable for distinguishing between individuals who are either immune or susceptible to varicella, which could be useful in a variety of clinical situations but particularly in current and future evaluations of varicella vaccines.