title: Detection of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in oral and genital secretions of Zimbabwean women.
abstract: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in oral and genital secretions of women may be involved in horizontal and vertical transmission in endemic regions. Nested polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect KSHV DNA sequences in one-third of oral, vaginal, and cervical specimens and in 42% of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) specimens collected from 41 women infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 who had Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). KSHV DNA was not detected in specimens from 100 women without KS, 9 of whom were seropositive for KSHV. A positive association was observed between KSHV DNA detection in oral and genital mucosa, neither of which was associated with KSHV DNA detection in PBMC. These data suggest that KSHV replicates in preferred anatomic sites at levels independent of PBMC viremia. Detection of genital-tract KSHV only among relatively immunosuppressed women may provide an explanation for infrequent perinatal transmission of KSHV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. tlamp@u.washington.edu.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lampinen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kulasingam
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borok
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gwanzura
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahomed
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Woelk
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Edelman
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Constantine
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katzenstein
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology*; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral