title: Increasing seroprevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) with age confirms HHV-8 endemicity in Amazon Amerindians from Brazil.
abstract: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) seroprevalences were determined in two isolated Amazon Amerindian tribes, according to age, gender and familial aggregation. Plasma and serum samples obtained from 982 Amazon Amerindians (664 Tiriyó and 318 Waiampi) were tested for antibodies against lytic and latent HHV-8 antigens by using 'in-house' immunofluorescence assays. Overall, HHV-8 seroprevalence was 56.8 % (57.4 % in the Tiriyó tribe and 55.7 % in the Waiampi tribe). Seroprevalence was independent of gender and increased linearly with age: it was 35.0 % among children aged 2-9 years, 51.4 % in adolescents (10-19 years), 72.9 % in adults and 82.3 % in adults aged >50 years. Interestingly, 44.4 % of children under 2 years of age were HHV-8-seropositive. No significant differences in seroprevalence between tribes and age groups were detected. It is concluded that HHV-8 is hyperendemic in Brazilian Amazon Amerindians, with vertical and horizontal transmission during childhood, familial transmission and sexual contact in adulthood contributing to this high prevalence in these isolated populations.
authors.affiliation: Gonçalo Moniz Research Center/Fiocruz, 121 rua Waldemar Falcão, 40295-001 Salvador, BA, Brazil.|Departments of Clinical Pathology and Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences/State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil.
authors.forename: A M G
authors.initials: AMG
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Immunology Section, Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caterino-de-Araujo
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Pathology and Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences/State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil.
authors.forename: S C B
authors.initials: SCB
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Immunology Section, Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santos-Fortuna
authors.affiliation: Bahiana Medical School, Bahiana Foundation for the Development of Sciences, Salvador, Brazil.|Gonçalo Moniz Research Center/Fiocruz, 121 rua Waldemar Falcão, 40295-001 Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: N C A
authors.initials: NCA
authors.lastname: Boa-Sorte
authors.affiliation: Gonçalo Moniz Research Center/Fiocruz, 121 rua Waldemar Falcão, 40295-001 Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Pathology and Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences/State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil.
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Bahiana Medical School, Bahiana Foundation for the Development of Sciences, Salvador, Brazil.|Gonçalo Moniz Research Center/Fiocruz, 121 rua Waldemar Falcão, 40295-001 Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galvão-Castro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000821:virology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral