title: Seroprevalence of HHV8 in a cohort of HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients in Mozambique.
abstract: Kaposi Sarcoma shows several different clinical and epidemiological patterns. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where the HIV achieves an high prevalence of infection, the KS can be found both in HIV positive than in HIV negative patients, and the diffusion of the HHV8 virus is endemic. The aim of the work is to evaluate the HHV8 seroprevalence in Mozambique. Moreover the relationship of some main indicators, as CD4 and CD8 cells count, HIV viral load, Body Mass Index and haemoglobin values have been calculated in a part of the DREAM Cohort, (HIV positive patients enrolled in the Community of Sant'Egidio program to fight AIDS in the Sub-Saharan Africa). In the HIV positive cohort HHV8 negative and HHV8 positive groups show statistical significance (p < 0.05) in CD4 cells count, a strong significance (p = 0.01) in CD8 cells count and a significance also in Haemoglobin levels (p = 0.35). The difference in Haemoglobin levels (0.5 g/dl) is related more to a statistical than a clinical significance. The study confirms the free circulation of the HHV8 virus in the Mozambican population, with a prevalence rate of 51.1%, similar than that measured in bordering countries. Considering the CD8 value within the HIV positive sub-cohort a strong correlation with the positivity for HHV8 and the immunological status is suggested.
authors: Department of Oncology, Division of Surgical, Molecular and Ultrastructural Pathology, University of Pisa and Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy. susannaceffa@gmail.com
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Ceffa
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Buonomo
authors: A M Doro
authors: AM
authors: Altan
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Erba
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Germano
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Guidotti
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Liotta
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Magnano San Lio
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Scarcella
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Palombi
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Marazzi
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009073:Mozambique / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies