Calbiotech Varicella Zoster Virus [VZV] IgG Elisa Kit

Product Description

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION
Varicella zoster virus causes chickenpox a highly contagious disease acquired by touching the blisters or respiratorysecretions, or through the air. A person is usually infectious 1-2 days before the rash to 4-5 days after the start of the rash,or until the blisters have formed crusts. Symptoms start about 2-3 weeks after exposure and include fever, tiredness, andan itchy rash with small blisters that dry up and form scabs in 2-4 days. More severe but rare problems or complicationsthat could occur are pneumonia (especially in adults), skin infection, blood infection and encephalitis. Approximately 90%of chickenpox cases are in children 1-14 years of age, and 90% of people have had chickenpox by their early 20's. Thereactivated form (herpes zoster: shingles) of VZV infection generally occurs in older adults whose immunity has waned, ininfants or children exposed to VZV in the perinatal period or in the immunocompromised. VZV infection during pregnancyinfrequently leads to maternal pneumonia. Chickenpox can occur during pregnancy in women seropositive for VZV,especially when seropositive at low titer, with low-avidity, largely IgG3 antibodies. Maternal VZV infection during pregnancy(especially between 13-20 weeks gestation) can be associated with outcomes ranging from skin scarring or limbhypoplasia to multi system involvement and death. Because VZV and herpes simplex virus (HSV) can cross-react, viralculture can be used to detect and differentiate HSV from VZV, but PCR testing may prove the most valuable for diagnosingand differentiating active infection. IgG antibodies can be detected 9 days after the onset of rash in varicella, 10 days inzoster; immunoreactivity peaks at an average 66 and 27 days, respectively. The IgM response to varicella is detected at 6-7 days post-onset and peaks at an average 14 days; IgM response to zoster is detectable at 8-10 days and peaks at 18-19days.

PRINCIPLE OF THE TEST
Diluted patient serum is added to wells coated with purified antigen. IgG specific antibody, if present, binds to the antigen.All unbound materials are washed away and the enzyme conjugate is added to bind to the antibody-antigen complex, ifpresent. Excess enzyme conjugate is washed off and substrate is added. The plate is incubated to allow the hydrolysis ofthe substrate by the enzyme. The intensity of the color generated is proportional to the amount of IgG specific antibody inthe sample