Seroprevalence of HHV-8 infection in the pediatric population of two university hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
BACKGROUND
The authors present a serologic survey of the prevalence of herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) among 171 children from 0 to 12 years old in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


METHODS
Sera were tested for latent nuclear and lytic antigens using indirect immunofluorescence and Western blotting.


RESULTS
Serology for HHV-8 was positive in 16 of 171 patients (9.35%). Among 13 HIV-positive patients, four (31%) were also positive for HHV-8. The seropositivity among healthy children was 7.6%, and females were significantly (P<0.002) more associated with HHV-8 seropositivity (16%) than males (1.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
We detected a higher HHV-8 seroprevalence among the pediatric population in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when compared with similar studies performed in other countries. Nonsexual routes of transmission are a possible explanation for this pattern. The unusual finding of a higher seroprevalence among female children could be explained by a specific route of exposition or even an epidemiological bias.
Avelleira
João Carlos Regazzi
JC
Department of Medical Clinics (Dermatology), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro. avelleira@unikey.com.br
Lupi
Omar
O
Caterino-de-Araujo
Adele
A
Santos-Fortuna
Elizabeth de Los
Ede L
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution