title: Minimal change in HSV-2 seroreactivity: a cross-sectional Swedish population study.
abstract: The prevalence of antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was determined in sera collected from 2 Swedish cross-sectional populations during 1990/91 and 1996/97. A glycoprotein G2 (gG-2) peptide ELISA was used to analyse 2899 sera from adults. We found a prevalence of 13.0% in 18-70-y-olds in 1990/91 and 16.4% in 31-55-y-olds in 1996/97. Seropositivity to HSV-2 was somewhat higher in women than in men; 14.4% compared to 11.6% in 1990/91 and 18.9% compared to 13.6% in 1996/97. Overall there was a significant difference in female prevalence of HSV-2 compared to prevalence in males of the same age groups (p=0.013). Total antibody prevalence to HSV-1 of 88% in HSV-2 negative individuals above 18 y of age was found. HSV-2 positive individuals were found seropositive to HSV-1 in approximately 95% of the cases. 12% were negative for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies. In addition, there was no serological sign that the reported increase of HSV-1 as an early sexual disease had reduced the frequency of HSV-2 seropositivity in the sexually most active age groups. In conclusion, our investigation has shown no significant increase of HSV-2 seroprevalence in randomly selected Swedish subjects during the defined time period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, and Microbiology and Tumour Biology Centre, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. maria.jonsson@student.uib.no
authors.forename: Maria K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rudén
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wahren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral