Frequent and asymptomatic oropharyngeal shedding of human herpesvirus 8 among immunocompetent men.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the clinical and virologic manifestations of human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 infection in immunocompetent persons in the absence of malignancy.


METHODS
A total of 46 human immunodeficiency virus-negative, HHV-8-seropositive men collected saliva daily, and 25 recorded 15 common symptoms daily (gastrointestinal, constitutional, and oropharyngeal) and absences from work or school. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction measured HHV-8 DNA in saliva.


RESULTS
Some 44 (96%) of 46 men reported having sex with men (MSM). Of the 44 MSM, 27 (61%) had HHV-8 detected in saliva on > or = 1 day; heterosexual men also shed HHV-8. In analyses restricted to MSM, HHV-8 DNA was detected on 636 (22%) of 2897 days. Among MSM with HHV-8 detected in saliva, the median rate was 20% (range, 1%-100%), with 30% shedding on > 50% of days, and the median quantity was 4.5 log10 copies/mL (range, 2.0-7.3 log10 copies/mL). The quantity of HHV-8 shed was lower in nonwhites (P<.001) and younger participants (P=.03). The frequency of HHV-8 detection and quantity were correlated (r=0.62; P<.001). Symptoms were reported on 10 (9%) of 114 days when HHV-8 was present, compared with 78 (9%) of 830 days without (odds ratio, 0.93 [95% confidence interval, 0.30-2.88]; P=.9).


CONCLUSIONS
HHV-8 is detected frequently and intermittently in the saliva of chronically infected immunocompetent MSM, but this infection is asymptomatic.
Casper
Corey
C
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. ccasper@u.washington.edu
Krantz
Elizabeth
E
Selke
Stacy
S
Kuntz
Steven R
SR
Wang
Jie
J
Huang
Meei-Li
ML
Pauk
John S
JS
Corey
Lawrence
L
Wald
Anna
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000821:virology*; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D017201:Virus Shedding / Q000502:physiology*