title: Prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 antibodies in the population of Belém, Pará, Brazil.
abstract: Serum samples from 497 children and adults inhabiting two neighbourhoods (Guamá and Terra Firme) in Belém, Pará, North Brazil were screened for the presence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) antibody using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An overall 16.3% prevalence was found for these urban communities. Taken both genders together, prevalence rates of HHV-8 antibody increase gradually, across age-groups, ranging from 12.0% to 33.3%. When seroprevalence is analysed by gender, similar rates are found for female (18.4%) and male (14.0%) individuals. In the former gender group, seroprevalence rates increased from 10.3%, in children < or = 10 years of age, to 30.0% in adults 41-50 years of age. Conversely, among male subjects, the prevalence of HHV-8 antibodies decreased from 13.3% in children/young adults aged < or = 10 to 20 years of age to 6.1% in adults aged 21-30 years. From the 31-40 year-old group male onwards, seropositivity rates increased gradually, ranging from 8.3% to 66.7%. A significant difference in seropositivity rates was noted when comparing 21-30 age groups for female and male subjects: 23.3% and 6.1%, respectively (P = 0.03). Geometric mean optical densities were found to increase slightly from the lower to the higher age-groups. Our data suggest that transmission of HHV-8 occurs frequently in the general urban population of Belém, and that prevalence of antibody seems to increase with age.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Virologia Geral, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Fundação Nacional de Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Belém, Pará, Brasil. ronaldofreitas@iec.pa.gov.br
authors.forename: Ronaldo B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Maria Rute
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Alexandre C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Linhares
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral