Antibodies to human herpesvirus type 8 in the general population and in Kaposi's sarcoma patients.
BACKGROUND
Much of the evidence that human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) is associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) has come from molecular studies of HHV-8 DNA. Seroepidemiological studies have been hampered by the lack of a reliable assay.


METHODS
The serological data reported here were obtained by means of a mouse monoclonal antibody-enhanced immunofluorescence assay for antibodies to lytic and latent HHV-8 antigens. 1435 single samples of serum (or plasma) from many different disease groups and parts of the world were assayed.


RESULTS
All patients with African endemic KS and 96% of American patients with AIDS-associated KS were seropositive for lytic antigen, as were 90% of American HIV-infected homosexual men; by contrast only 23% of HIV-seropositive drug users and 21% of HIV-seropositive women were positive for HHV-8 antibody. Factor VIII treatment before 1983 did not increase the risk of HHV-8 infection in patients with haemophilia. In the American general population, about 25% of adults (including volunteer blood donors) and 2-8% of children had antibodies to HHV-8.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data are consistent with HHV-8 being primarily associated with sexual transmission, but the HHV-8 seropositivity rate in American children suggests that there is a non-sexual route of HHV-8 infection also. On the evidence available so far, the risk of parenteral transmission is low.
Lennette
E T
ET
Virolab, Inc., Berkeley, CA 94710-1509, USA.
Blackbourn
D J
DJ
Levy
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000821:virology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral