title: Detection of antibodies against viral capsid proteins of human herpesvirus 8 in AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.
abstract: Sequences of a new herpesvirus with homology to gammaherpesvirinae were recently identified in AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Subsequently this novel virus, called KS-associated virus (KSHV) or human herpesvirus (HHV) 8 was detected in classical KS and AIDS-associated body cavity based lymphomas by polymerase chain reaction. In this report major and minor capsid proteins of HHV-8 were molecularly cloned and produced as recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. Sera from 69 HIV-1 infected patients with KS, 30 HIV-1 infected patients without KS and 106 control individuals were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anti-HHV-8 capsid IgM and IgG antibodies. Sera from four patients were tested over periods ranging from 18 months to 6 years. IgG antibodies directed against HHV-8 capsid antigens were detected in patients with AIDS-associated KS and in some AIDS patients without KS. Seroconversion with IgM and IgG antibodies directed against HHV-8 capsid proteins occurred more than 1 year prior to diagnosis of KS. In a considerable portion of KS patients no IgM or IgG antibodies against HHV-8 capsid proteins were detected. In these patients there was an inverse relationship between antibodies against HHV-8orf26 and the CD4/CD8 ratio, suggesting that the inconsistency of anti-HHV-8orf26 antibodies is due at least partly to an impaired immune response. No reactivity against HHV-8 capsid antigens was detected in the vast majority of sera from HIV-negative control individuals. Our findings indicate that a specific humoral immune response against capsid proteins is raised in HHV-8 infected individuals, and that anti-capsid antibodies can be used to diagnose HHV-8 infection. The correlation between occurrence of anti-HHV-8 antibodies and KS supports the hypothesis of a causative role of HHV-8.
authors.affiliation: Max-yon-Pottenkofer Institut für Virologie, Universität München, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schatz
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bogner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeichhardt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stöffler-Meilicke
authors.forename: H U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ullrich
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sonntag
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kehm
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haas
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000276:immunology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral