Human herpesvirus 8 infection among various population groups in southern Israel.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence of antibodies to human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) or Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus among Israeli and Ethiopian subjects.


METHODS
Serum samples were obtained from 98 Israeli Jewish students aged 18-30 years, 100 HIV-1-seronegative Ethiopian immigrants to Israel of the same age, and 100 HIV-1-seronegative Ethiopian children 1-12 years old upon their arrival in southern Israel. Plasma samples were obtained from 3 hospitalized patients with multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) as positive controls. All serum samples were tested for antibodies to both latent and lytic antigens. Antibodies to the lytic antigens and the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) of HHV-8 were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and by immunofluorescence assay. HHV-8 DNA from serum or plasma samples was detected by polymerase chain reaction analysis.


RESULTS
Antibodies to HHV-8 LANA were detected in 2.9% of the Israeli subjects aged 18-30 years and in 26% of the Ethiopian subjects from both age groups tested. Antibodies to the lytic antigens were detected in all 3 MCD patients, in 4% of the Ethiopian children, and in 2% of the 18- to 30-year-old Ethiopians. No antibodies to the lytic antigens were detected in the Israeli students. HHV-8 DNA was detected in all 3 MCD patients and in 2 of 4 of the Ethiopian children positive for the lytic antigens.


CONCLUSIONS
HHV-8 is highly prevalent in Ethiopian immigrants to Israel as compared with Israeli students. Antibodies to HHV-8 in Ethiopia are acquired before puberty. The results of this study indicate the association of HHV-8 with MCD, as has been documented by many other researchers.
Margalith
Miriam
M
Department of Virology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Shev, Israel.
Chatlynne
Louise G
LG
Fuchs
Efrat
E
Owen
Carole
C
Lee
Cheng-Rei Ruth
CR
Yermiyahu
Tikva
T
Whitman
James E
JE
Ablashi
Dharam V
DV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000097:blood; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000453:epidemiology; D013337:Students, Medical; D019562:Viral Load
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C109540:latency-associated nuclear antigen