Human herpesvirus-8 infection in hemodialysis patients from São Paulo, Brazil: preliminary results.
Epidemiological studies conducted in endemic areas of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection have shown iatrogenic Kaposi's sarcoma in renal transplant recipients. Hemodialysis has not yet been demonstrated to be a route of virus transmission/acquisition, although recently blood transfusion has been suggested as a vehicle of HHV-8 transmission. The present study searching HHV-8 antibodies among serum samples from 70 hemodialysis patients disclosed a high prevalence of infection (22.9%). There was an association between HHV-8 seroreactivity and previous transfusions and transplantation, as well as with a black/pardum ethnic background of patients. These results emphasized that chronic renal patients are at risk of developing HHV-8-related diseases.
Caterino-de-Araujo
A
A
Immunology Department, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. caterino@ial.sp.gov.br
Magri
M C
MC
Santos-Fortuna
E
E
Souza
J F
JF
Sens
Y A S
YA
Jabur
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D017735:Virus Latency