Abstract
Objective: To study the seroprevalence of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus type 8 (KSHV/ HHV-8) in 779 Italian blood donors. Study Design/Methods: Sera were tested for antibodies to a latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) and a capsid related protein encoded by ORF65. Results: Among all Italian donors, 17.7% and 18.7% had antibodies to LANA and ORF65 protein, respectively, and 24.1% had antibodies to at least one antigen. KSHV/HHV-8 seroprevalence was higher in the Po valley and in Sardinia than close to the sub-Alpine Veneto region, Tuscany, or Apulia. KSHV/HHV-8 seroprevalence was almost equally distributed between men and women but increased in the older age groups. Conclusions: The regional differences and age distribution in seroprevalence agree partially with the incidence of classic KS in Italy. The rarity of classic KS in KSHV/HHV-8-infected subjects and the equal gender distribution of seroprevalence suggest that other cofactors may contribute to KS development in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-uninfected individuals.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 207-213 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Human Virology |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 1998 |
Keywords
- HHV-8
- KSHV
- LANA
- ORF65
- Seroprevalence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Virology