title: Use of plasma human herpesvirus-8 viral load measurement: evaluation of practice in three UK HIV treatment centres.
abstract: A retrospective audit of plasma human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) viral load testing was performed in three HIV treatment centres over 24 months. Reasons for testing (360 tests) were: symptoms of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (fever, lymphadenopathy and raised inflammatory markers); monitoring in known HHV-8 pathology other than Kaposi sarcoma (KS); investigation of known/suspected KS, and other/no reason. Of patients with multicentric Castleman disease (MCD), 14/16 (88%) had detectable plasma HHV-8, as did 27/45 (60%) with biopsy proven or clinically confirmed KS, and 6/19 (32%) with lymphoma. Neither of the two patients with MCD and no detectable HHV-8 had SIRS symptoms at the time of the test. There was wide variation between centres in the indications prompting HHV-8 testing, with a more conservative approach resulting in a higher proportion of positive results. Measuring plasma HHV-8 in the absence of SIRS symptoms, established HHV-8 disease monitoring, or confirmed/suspected KS is unlikely to yield detectable HHV-8 thus allowing potential cost savings.
authors.affiliation: 1 Mortimer Market Centre, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.affiliation: 2 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.affiliation: 2 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mabayoje
authors.affiliation: 1 Mortimer Market Centre, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: 3 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.|4 University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: El Bouzidi
authors.affiliation: 5 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.affiliation: 5 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ainsworth
authors.affiliation: 1 Mortimer Market Centre, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.|3 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.|4 University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D005871:Castleman Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Castleman; Human herpesvirus-8; Kaposi sarcoma; polymerase chain reaction