title: HHV 8 seroprevalence and transmission within Albanian family groups.
abstract: The recently discovered Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV 8) is associated with all clinical forms of Kaposi's sarcoma. While early research suggested that the virus was transmitted sexually and that it was present only in KS patients, more recent studies seem to show that infection with the virus is more common than once thought, presenting differing distribution patterns in different geographical areas. In this study we analyze seroprevalence and transmission of HHV 8 in a sample of 86 family groups from Albania. Participants were selected among families requesting routine pre-expatriation medical examinations at the Poliambulatorio Padre "L. Monti" in Tirana. Specimens were collected from 180 healthy individuals and tested for the presence of a specific antibody. Antibody anti-HHV-8 detection was performed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study found an overall rate of HHV 8 seroprevalence of 20.0%. In 4.5% of couples the male and female were both positive, in 30.2% at least one partner was positive; (in 17.4% only the male was positive; in 12.8% only the female). These results support the hypothesis that HHV 8 spreads via multiple transmission routes.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Graffeo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ranno
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Capodicasa
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schito
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fuga
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amico
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cattani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fadda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000415:Albania / Q000453:epidemiology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral