Monocytes, NK cells, NKT cells, B cells, CD4⁺ T cells and CD8⁺ T cells are productively infected by VZV and capable of transmitting virus.

Human PBMCs were co-cultured with VZV-infected HFLs for 48 h, then VZV-infected monocytes, NK, NKT, B cells, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells were sorted using flow cytometry. Individual sorted immune cells were then washed with citrate buffer followed by FACS buffer before co-culturing with uninfected HFLs. After 5 days of co-culture, immunofluorescence analyses of VZV ORF63 (green) and VZV glycoprotein B (gB, red) revealed productive infection of HFLs by all individual immune cell populations analyzed. Specifically, top panels 1 to 3 (left to right) show individual channels for DAPI, ORF 63 and VZV gB in HFLs exposed to VZV-infected monocytes—with panel 4 representing a merged image demonstrating expression of both VZV proteins. Lower merged panels show co-expression of ORF 63 and VZV gB in HFLs exposed to VZV-infected NK cells, NKT cells, B cells, CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. Negative controls were provided by omission of primary antibody on VZV-infected HFLs (top right panel). DAPI (blue) was used as cell nucleus stain. Magnification, X100. Results representative of duplicate experiments using PBMCs from 2 different healthy donors.