Measurements of human herpesvirus 8 viral load in blood before and after leukoreduction filtration.
BACKGROUND
Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is likely transmitted through blood transfusion in high-prevalence areas. The efficacy of leukoreduction filtration for reducing HHV-8 in blood has not been reported.


METHODS
Blood was drawn from 45 human immunodeficiency virus-positive men either with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS; n=21) or without KS (n=24) and subject to leukoreduction filtration. HHV-8 viral load was measured in plasma and in blood before and after filtration.


RESULTS
Twelve subjects, all with KS, had detectable HHV-8 viremia before filtration with viral loads of 10(2) to 10(5) copies/mL (mean, 3 × 10(4) copies/mL). After filtration, seven of 12 subjects no longer had detectable HHV-8 in their blood, and five of 12 subjects had detectable HHV-8 that was 90% reduced on average from prefiltration levels. The presence of HHV-8 in the blood after filtration was strongly associated with prefiltration viral loads greater than 1000 copies/mL and the presence of cell-free virus in plasma. None of the subjects without KS had detectable levels of HHV-8 virus in blood before or after filtration.


CONCLUSIONS
Cell-associated HHV-8 appeared to be effectively removed by leukoreduction filtration. Cell-free HHV-8 was present in 42% of subjects as 1% to 20% of the total virus which was not removed by filtration.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Center for Transfusion and Cellular Therapies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Sheila C
SC
Dollard
John D
JD
Roback
Clifford
C
Gunthel
Minal M
MM
Amin
Sheilagh
S
Barclay
Ericka
E
Patrick
Matthew J
MJ
Kuehnert
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D047589:Leukocyte Reduction Procedures; D008297:Male; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral