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IJE Advance Access originally published online on July 25, 2005
International Journal of Epidemiology 2005 34(5):1110-1117; doi:10.1093/ije/dyi131
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Published by Oxford University 2005

Article

Correlates of Human Herpesvirus-8 DNA detection among adults in Italy without Kaposi sarcoma

Elizabeth E Brown1,2,*, Denise Whitby3, Francesco Vitale4, Paola Cordiali Fei5, Carla Del Carpio6, Vickie Marshall3, Anthony J Alberg2, Diego Serraino7, Angelo Messina8, Lorenzo Gafa9, James J Goedert1 The Classical Kaposi Sarcoma Working Group{dagger}

1 Viral Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Rockville, MD, USA
2 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
3 Viral Epidemiology Section, AIDS Vaccine Program, SAIC-Frederick, NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA
4 Dipartimento di Igiene e Microbiologia 'Giuseppe D'Alessandro', Universitá degli studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
5 San Gallicano Hospital, Roma, Italy
6 Ospedale dei Bambini—ARNAS Servizio analisi Chimico-Cliniche, Palermo, Italy
7 Dipartimento di Epidemiologia, Istituto Nazionale Malattie Infettive L. Spallanzani, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
8 Departimento di Scienze Biomediche, Universitá degli studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
9 Lega Italiana per la lotta contro i tumorisez. Ragusa, Ragusa, Italy

* Corresponding author. National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS 8005/MSC 7248 Rockville, MD 20852, USA. E-mail: brownbe{at}mail.nih.gov

Background The presence of Human Herpesvirus-8 (HHV8) DNA is predictive of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) among patients with HIV-associated or iatrogenic immunosuppression. However, correlates of HHV8-DNA detection in the general population remain undefined.

Methods We assessed correlates of HHV8-DNA detection among Italian adults without KS who had antibodies against HHV8-latent nuclear antigen by immunofluorescence assay. HHV8-K6 DNA sequences were detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using TaqMan PCR.

Results Of the 158 subjects 26 (16.5%) had detectable HHV8-DNA [median copies/million cells, 53; (13–2128)]. Adjusted for age, sex, and laboratory, HHV8-DNA was detected more frequently in participants with >7 total residents in the childhood home [OR = 3.7 (1.5–9.1)], >2 younger siblings [OR = 2.6 (1.1–6.5)], and current cardiovascular [OR = 3.6 (1.3–9.7)] or renal [OR = 3.1 (1.2–8.0)] disease. Excluding the participants using immune modulating drugs, HHV8-DNA was more frequent among those with low red blood cells (RBC) [<4.5 106/µl; OR = 5.3 (1.7–16.2)], slightly elevated mean corpuscular volume [>92 µm3/red cell; OR = 2.8 (1.0–7.8)], and mild thrombocytopenia [<151 K/µl; OR = 5.6 (1.9–16.3)].

Conclusions Presence of HHV8-DNA in elderly Italians is associated with childhood crowding, low RBCs, and platelets, perhaps indicating roles for early infection and chronic inflammation. These risk factors are the first to be reported for non-immunosuppressed HHV8-seropositive adults.

Keywords HHV8, Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus, KSHV, viral DNA, viral load

Accepted 3 June 2005


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