Higher prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 DNA sequence and specific IgG antibodies in patients with pemphigus in China.
BACKGROUND
Environmental factors, including virus infection, may play a role in the onset and/or development of pemphigus. However, it is controversial whether human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 is involved in pathogenesis of pemphigus.


OBJECTIVE
The possible association of pemphigus with HHV-8 was investigated.


METHODS
A total of 36 lesional skin and 13 peripheral blood mononuclear cell specimens from 58 patients with pemphigus, and 18 normal skin and 230 peripheral blood mononuclear cell specimens from healthy individuals, were tested for HHV-8 DNA sequence by a nested polymerase chain reaction assay. In all, 29 sera from the patients and 109 sera from healthy individuals were tested for HHV-8-specific IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using HHV-8-specific oligopeptides as antigens.


RESULTS
Prevalence of both HHV-8 DNA sequence (36.1% and 30.8% in lesional skin and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, respectively) and HHV-8-specific IgG antibodies (34.5%) for patients with pemphigus was statistically higher than that of control subjects (<8% in both assays). There was no significant difference in HHV-8 prevalence among different types of pemphigus.


CONCLUSIONS
HHV-8 infection might be a contributing factor in the development of pemphigus.
Wang
Guan-Qing
GQ
Department of Dermatology, No. 1 Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
Xu
Honghui
H
Wang
Ya-Kun
YK
Gao
Xing-Hua
XH
Zhao
Yuming
Y
He
Chundi
C
Inoue
Naoki
N
Chen
Hong-Duo
HD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G