Infection with human herpesvirus type 8 and human T-cell leukaemia virus type 1 among individuals participating in a case-control study in Havana City, Cuba.
Infection with human herpesvirus type 8 and with human T-cell leukaemia virus type-1 shows strong geographic variations. We conducted this study to assess prevalence and risk factors for human herpesvirus type 8 infection in Havana City, Cuba. Information and residual serum samples already collected for a hospital based case-control study were used. A total of 379 individuals (267 males and 112 females; median age=63 years) were evaluated. Antibodies to the lytic antigen of human herpesvirus type 8 were detected by using an immunofluorescence assay, while human T-cell leukaemia virus type-1 serology was performed by means of an ELISA test (alpha Biotech). Overall, 64 subjects (16.9%, 95% confidence interval: 13.1-20.0) were positive for human herpesvirus type 8 antibodies. Human herpesvirus type 8 seroprevalence significantly increased with age (odds ratio=1.9 for >/=65 vs <55 years), and was twice as frequent in blacks than in whites. No association emerged with gender, socio-economic indicators, family size, history of sexually transmitted disease, sexual behaviour. Overall, 16 persons had anti-human T-cell leukaemia virus type-1 antibodies (4.2%, 95% confidence interval: 2.2-6.4). No relationship emerged between human T-cell leukaemia virus type-1 and human herpesvirus type 8 serostatus. The study findings indicate that human herpesvirus type 8 infection is relatively common in Havana City, Cuba, suggesting that Cuba may represent an intermediate endemical area. Sexual transmission does not seem to play a major role in the spread human herpesvirus type 8 infection.
Fernandez
L
L
Instituto Nacional de Oncología y Radiobiología, Havana, Cuba.
Serraino
D
D
Rezza
G
G
Lence
J
J
Ortiz
R M
RM
Cruz
T
T
Vaccarella
S
S
Sarmati
L
L
Andreoni
M
M
Franceschi
S
S
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D014505:Urban Population
D000914:Antibodies, Viral