Antibodies to varicella-zoster virus glycoproteins I, II, and III in leukemic and healthy children.

A dot ELISA was used to analyze the antibody response to varicella-zoster virus glycoproteins I, II, and III in leukemic and healthy children who either developed natural varicella or received the live attenuated varicella vaccine. Both groups of children showed an antibody response to these viral glycoproteins. The antibody response to all three glycoproteins showed excellent persistence over the 3-year period of study. None of the glycoproteins provoked an antibody response that could be shown to correlate with protection from breakthrough varicella after household exposure to chickenpox or from zoster in leukemic vaccinees.