Prospective study of human herpesvirus 8 oral shedding, viremia, and serological status among human immunodeficiency virus seropositive and seronegative individuals in Sao Paulo, Brazil

• Published in: Journal of oral microbiology Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 1384287 - 6
• Main Authors: Braz-Silva, Paulo H., Tozetto-mendoza, Tania R., Sumita, Laura M., Freire, Wilton, Palmieri, Michelle, do Canto, Alan M., Avelino-Silva, Vivian I., Gallottini, Marina, Mayaud, Philippe, Pannuti, Claudio S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.01.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Blood & organ donations; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzymes; Etiology; Excretion; Health risk assessment; Herpes viruses; HHV-8; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Immunofluorescence; Infections; Kaposi sarcoma; Males; oral shedding; Original; Patients; Polymerase chain reaction; Populations; Proteins; Saliva; Sarcoma; Shedding; Viremia; Viruses; Women; Brazil; Kaposi sarcoma; oral shedding; HHV-8; HIV
• ISSN: 2000-2297; 2000-2297
• DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2017.1384287

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a gamma-herpesvirus and etiological agent of all forms of Kaposi sarcoma (KS). Saliva may play an important role in HHV-8 transmission in specific populations. Little is known about HHV-8 oral shedding pattern and the possible correlation with the HHV-8 serological profile and viremia. A prospective study was conducted of HHV-8 salivary excretion among human immunodeficiency virus HIV-seronegative (n = 47) and -seropositive (n = 44) homosexual men and HIV-seropositive women (n = 32) over a 6-month period with monthly HHV-8 serologies (immunofluorescence assays to identify antibodies to latent and lytic HHV-8 viral proteins, and a whole-virus HHV-8 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]), monthly HHV-8 DNA serum/plasma detection, and daily self-collected oral rinses for HHV-8-DNA detection using real-time polymerase chain reaction. HHV-8 seropositivity was 51.1%, 63.6%, and 37.5%, in the three studied groups. There was no case of HHV-8 DNA detection in serum/plasma. Intermittent detection of oral HHV-8 DNA was observed during 5.1% (110/2,160) of visits among 28% (18/64) of HHV-8-seropositive individuals, all of whom were males and HHV-8 ELISA seropositive. In immunologically controlled populations of Brazil, HHV-8 oral shedding was limited to HHV-8-seropositive men, occurred infrequently and intermittently, and was not linked to HHV-8 viremia, suggesting a limited potential for oral or blood transmission.