title: Seroprevalence of antibodies against human herpesvirus 6 in the Quebec City area.
abstract: Seroprevalence of antibodies against human herpesvirus 6 was determined in a sample of 303 randomly selected individuals from the Quebec City area. The influence of different variables on antibody litres was also evaluated. Human herpesvirus 6 was grown in the HSB-2 cell line, and antibody litres were measured by indirect immunofluorescence. Serum samples were collected from 177 females and 126 males ranging in age from two months to 88 years. Ninety-nine per cent (300 of 303) of this population had an antibody titre of at least 1:10, whereas 75% had a titre of at least 1:80. Women had a higher geometric mean litre than men (P=0.06). This difference between sexes varied according to age and became statistically significant in subjects older than 20 years of age (P=0.04). It was found that this difference was attributable to higher antibody litres in women in the 15 to 40 year age group who had previously had children.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de virologie. Département de microbiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, Québec; and Hôtel-Dieu de Quêbec, Québec, Québec.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deschênes
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Joly
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Couillard
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Richer