Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
23
pubmed:dateCreated
2004-12-2
pubmed:abstractText
Transmission of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma, occurs mainly during childhood in endemic countries and, to a large extent, through intrafamilial contacts. To additionally investigate this familial transmission, and especially the role of plasma anti-HHV-8 antibody titers, we conducted a large survey in a village from Cameroon, Central Africa, including 92 families (608 individuals). Plasma samples were tested for specific IgG directed against HHV-8 lytic antigens by immunofluorescence assay, and titers were determined by 2-fold dilutions. Global HHV-8 seroprevalence was 60%, raising from 32% under 9 years up to a plateau of around 62% between 15 and 40 years. The familial correlation patterns in HHV-8 seropositive/seronegative status showed strong dependence from mother to child and between siblings. In contrast, no familial correlation in anti-HHV-8 antibody levels was observed among infected subjects. In particular, no relationship was observed between the anti-HHV-8 antibody titer of HHV-8 seropositive mothers and the proportion of their HHV-8 seropositive children. Furthermore, a random permutation study of the anti-HHV-8 antibody titers among HHV-8 infected subjects showed that the main risk factor for infection was the HHV-8 serologic status and not the antibody level. In addition, no correlation was found between anti-HHV-8 antibody levels and buffy coat HHV-8 viral loads in a subsample of 95 infected subjects. Overall, these results strongly suggest that, in this highly endemic population from Central Africa, HHV-8 transmission mainly occurs from mother to child and between siblings, and it is independent of plasma antibody levels of HHV-8 infected relatives.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0008-5472
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
64
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
8782-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Respective roles of serological status and blood specific antihuman herpesvirus 8 antibody levels in human herpesvirus 8 intrafamilial transmission in a highly endemic area.
pubmed:affiliation
Université René Descartes, INSERM U.550, Faculté de Médecine Necker, Paris, France.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't