title: High Prevalence of Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection in Diabetes Type 2 Patients and Detection of a New Virus Subtype.
abstract: The prevalence of Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) DNA and antiviral antibodies in Diabetes type 2 (DM2) and control subjects was studied, in order to confirm a possible link between DM2 and HHV8 infection. The HHV8-DNA from diabetic patients was typed for detecting possible genomic differences with known HHV8 reference viruses.DM2 patients and healthy controls were examined for the presence of HHV8 DNA into the peripheral blood lymphocytes. Both anti-lytic and latent phase antibodies were detected in HHV8 positive and negative diabetic patients, as well in a number of controls. The HHV8 ORF K1 and ORF 26 genes from DM2 patients were typed and matched to reference strains.A significant prevalence of HHV8 DNA in DM2 subjects versus healthy controls was detected (about 58 % against 27 %). Anti-lytic phase, but not anti-latent phase antibodies, were significantly increased in DM2 patients versus controls. In addition, about 30 % of HHV8 strains isolated from DM2 lymphocytes showed consistent differences in the ORF 26 gene sequence, so that a new HHV8 subtype was proposed. These findings give additional support to the hypothesis that HHV8 could be considered an additional risk factor for DM2 onset.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Cagliari, via Porcell 4, 0124, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Cagliari, via Porcell 4, 0124, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Madeddu
authors.affiliation: Policlinico Universitario, Cittadella di Monserrato, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Cagliari, via Porcell 4, 0124, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angius
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Diabetologia e Malattie Metaboliche, Ospedale S. Giovanni, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Contini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Cagliari, via Porcell 4, 0124, Cagliari, Italy. rpompei@unica.it.
authors.forename: Raffaello
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pompei
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Cagliari, via Porcell 4, 0124, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ingianni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: Antiviral antibodies; Diabetes type 2; Human Herpesvirus 8; Latent viruses; Viral DNA typing