Evaluation of BC-3 and BCP-1 cell lines in immunofluorescence assay to detect HHV-8 antibodies in Kaposi's sarcoma, multiple myeloma and other groups.
BACKGROUND
We describe a comparative study of an immunofluorescence assay using inducible BC-3 and BCP-1 cell lines as sources of HHV-8 antigens.


METHODS
Detection of both antibodies to proteins expressed in lytic cycle and during latency in sera from HIV-infected patients with KS, HIV-positive patients without KS, normal blood donors, HIV-negative pregnant women and HIV-negative patients with multiple myeloma. Where possible, detection of antibody was associated with nested PCR detection of HHV-8 in peripheral mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples collected from AIDS-KS patients.


RESULTS
Immunofluorescence was more intense with the BC-3 cell line than with BCP-1, thus facilitating examination under the microscope. HHV-8 antibodies were detected among 82.75% of AIDS-KS patients, in 27.3% of HIV-infected homosexual men, 2% of blood donors and in 2% of pregnant women. No HHV-8 antibodies were detected in serum samples from HIV-negative patients presenting multiple myeloma. HHV-8 DNA sequences were detected and confirmed by southern blot hybridization in five out of 17 (29.4%) PBMC samples from AIDS-KS patients. Titre of antibodies to proteins expressed in lytic cycle was much higher than the titre of antibodies to proteins expressed during latency.


CONCLUSIONS
Both immunofluorescence assays were found useful and HHV-8 seroprevalence rates reported in previous studies were confirmed. In addition, results obtained using these assays tend to provide evidence for a lack of epidemiological association between HHV-8 infection and development of multiple myeloma.
Couty
J P
JP
Department of Microbiology, EP CNRS 118, Limoges, France. j.couty@lemel.fr
Ranger-Rogez
S
S
Venot
C
C
Jaccard
A
A
Rogez
J P
JP
Weinbreck
P
P
Bordessoule
D
D
Denis
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003429:Cross Reactions; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens