Antibodies against human herpesvirus 8 in black South African patients with cancer.
BACKGROUND
Infection with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) has been consistently linked to Kaposi's sarcoma, but its mode of transmission, association with other cancers, and interaction with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are largely unknown.


METHODS
Between January 1992 and December 1997, we interviewed 3591 black patients with cancer in Johannesburg and Soweto, South Africa. Blood was tested for antibodies against HIV-1 and HHV-8 in 3344 of the patients. Antibodies against HHV-8 were detected with an indirect immunofluorescence assay. The intensity of the fluorescent signal correlated well with the titers of antibodies (P<0.001). The relations among the presence of anti-HHV-8 antibodies, sociodemographic and behavioral factors, type of cancer, and the presence or absence of coexistent HIV infection were examined with the use of unconditional logistic-regression models.


RESULTS
Among the 3293 subjects with cancers other than Kaposi's sarcoma, the standardized seroprevalence of antibodies against HHV-8 was 32 percent, which did not differ significantly from the standardized seroprevalence among black blood donors. Among these 3293 patients, the prevalence of antibodies against HHV-8 increased with increasing age (P<0.001) and an increasing number of sexual partners (P=0.05) and decreased with increasing years of education (P=0.007); it was not strongly associated with HIV-1 infection. Anti-HHV-8 antibodies were more frequent among black than white blood donors (P<0.001). Among the 51 patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, the standardized seroprevalence of antibodies against HHV-8 was 83 percent, significantly higher than the prevalence among those without Kaposi's sarcoma (P<0.001). For 16 other specific types of cancer, including multiple myeloma (108 cases) and prostate cancer (202 cases), the variation in the standardized seroprevalence of antibodies against HHV-8 was not remarkable. At a given intensity of fluorescence of anti-HHV-8 antibodies, Kaposi's sarcoma was more frequent among HIV-1-positive patients than among those who were HIV-1-negative (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Among black patients with cancer in South Africa, the seroprevalence of anti-HHV-8 antibodies is high and is specifically associated with Kaposi's sarcoma, particularly at high titers.
Sitas
F
F
National Cancer Registry, Department of Anatomical Pathology, South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg. freddys@mail.saimr.wits.ac.za
Carrara
H
H
Beral
V
V
Newton
R
R
Reeves
G
G
Bull
D
D
Jentsch
U
U
Pacella-Norman
R
R
Bourboulia
D
D
Whitby
D
D
Boshoff
C
C
Weiss
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D044383:Black People; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies