APOE genotype is associated with oral herpetic lesions but not genital or oral herpes simplex virus shedding

• Published in: Sexually transmitted infections Vol. 86; no. 3; pp. 202 - 206
• Main Authors: Koelle, David M, Magaret, Amalia, Warren, Terri, Schellenberg, Gerard D, Wald, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.06.2010; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Adult; Alzheimer's disease; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Apolipoprotein E; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Clinics; Colleges & universities; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Viral - analysis; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epidemiology. Vaccinations; Female; Gene Frequency; Gene loci; General aspects; genital herpes; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; herpes; Herpes Genitalis - genetics; Herpes Genitalis - virology; herpes simplex virus; Herpes viruses; Herpesvirus 1, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 1, Human - physiology; Herpesvirus 2, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 2, Human - physiology; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Infections; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; Male; Medical sciences; Pathogenesis; PCR; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prognosis; Stomatitis, Herpetic - genetics; Stomatitis, Herpetic - virology; Toll-Like Receptor 2 - genetics; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the genital and urinary system; viral shedding; Virology; Virus Shedding; Infection; Microbiological investigation; Sexually transmitted disease; Typing; Viral disease; Oral administration; Genotype; Lesion; Genital herpes; Genital diseases
• ISSN: 1368-4973; 1472-3263; 1472-3263
• DOI: 10.1136/sti.2009.039735

BackgroundApolipoprotein E is polymorphic in the human population. APOE4 has previously been reported to correlate with symptomatic oral and genital herpes disease.MethodsAPOE was genotyped in 182 subjects with herpes simplex virus (HSV) 2 and in 62 subjects with HSV-1, including 44 subjects with both viral types for a total of 200 adults. HSV shedding was measured by PCR from swab samples obtained daily from mucosa for at least 30 days. Participants also maintained a diary of oral or genital lesions.ResultsThe APOE genotypes observed reflected the US white population and the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Genital and oral HSV shedding was detected on 17.2% and 3.7% of overall days, respectively, whereas genital and oral lesion rates were 10.1% and 2.9%. Using Poisson regression and adjusting for known correlates of HSV shedding, a significant association was not observed between the APOE genotype and genital or oral HSV shedding, or genital HSV lesions. However, the presence of the APOE4 allele was associated with a higher rate of oral herpetic lesions, with a relative risk of 4.64 (95% CI 1.32 to 15.05, p=0.016).ConclusionsVariation at the APOE locus may be associated with clinical manifestations of HSV-1 infection, but does not appear to correlate with herpes simplex viral reactivation in humans.