Evidence for a recessive major gene predisposing to human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection in a population in which HHV-8 is endemic.
Infection by human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), as measured by the presence of specific antibodies, was shown in countries in which HHV-8 infection is endemic to exhibit familial aggregation and a peculiar variation with age (rapid increase until puberty followed by a plateau in young adults). To investigate whether host genetic factors could explain these findings, a segregation analysis was performed of 81 families of African origin (1623 subjects; HHV-8 seroprevalence, 11.9%) living in a village in French Guiana in which HHV-8 infection is endemic. Results provide evidence for a recessive gene controlling susceptibility or resistance to HHV-8 infection. This gene is predicted to have a major effect during childhood, with almost all homozygous predisposed subjects ( approximately 6% of the population) being infected by age 15. For nonpredisposed subjects, HHV-8 infection in childhood strongly depends on virus exposure (through an HHV-8-infected mother), whereas the risk of infection appears to be low in young adults, with no evidence for heterosexual transmission.
Plancoulaine
Sabine
S
Laboratoire de Génétique Humaine des Maladies Infectieuses, Université René Descartes-INSERM U 550, Faculté de Médecine Necker, Paris, France.
Gessain
Antoine
A
van Beveren
Monique
M
Tortevoye
Patricia
P
Abel
Laurent
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005808:Genes, Recessive / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019683:Penetrance; D010641:Phenotype