Detection of human herpesvirus 8 DNA and antibodies to latent nuclear and lytic-phase antigens in serial samples from aids patients with Kaposi's sarcoma.
BACKGROUND
human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) have recently implicated in the etiology of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), but the pathophysiologic and immunologic interactions between HHV-8 and the human host are incompletely understood.


OBJECTIVE
this paper intends to present partial results of a follow-up study of KS patients, designed to investigate HHV-8 viremia and antibody response.


METHODS
ninety-six paired serial samples (PBMCs and sera) were obtained from 12 aids patients with KS who received HAART prior or just after entry in the study. HHV-8 DNA was detected by nested-PCR and antibodies to HHV-8 latent nuclear antigen (LANA) and lytic antigen by immunofluorescence assay (IFA).


RESULTS
HHV-8 DNA was detected in 33.3% of the first PBMC samples. Among the eight PCR negative patients, four presented positive samples during the follow-up and four remained negative. Five patients had intermittent viremia. Fifteen of the 96 PBMC samples were PCR positive (15.6%). Four of 39 samples (10.2%) from patients classified as stadio II and 11 of the 53 samples (20.7%) from patients in stadio IV were PCR positive (P=0.2). Six patients (50%) had anti-LANA antibodies at the entry in the study. Among the six seronegative patients, two seroconverted 2 months later and four patients remained seronegative during the 5-8 months of follow-up. All patients had anti-lytic antibodies since the first sample.


CONCLUSIONS
the presence of HHV-8 viremia could be related to the severity of KS and could be intermittent even under HAART. A longer follow-up is needed to confirm these results.
Camera Pierrotti
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Departamento de Doenças Infecciosas and Casa da AIDS, Fundação Zerbini, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Masami Sumita
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L
Santos Freire
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Hehl Caiaffa Filho
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H
de Souza
V A
VA
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000821:virology*; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000821:virology*; D017735:Virus Latency
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral