A comparative study of the frequency of antibody and titers against human herpesvirus 8 latent and lytic antigens in "at-risk" individuals and among patients with Kaposi's sarcoma.

Differences in the prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) have been described, depending on the study population and their geographic origin. A cross- sectional study aimed at detecting the frequency and titers of antibodies against HHV-8 latent and lytic antigens in serum samples from individuals with different risk-factors for HHV-8 infection, as well as predictive marker identification in patients with KS, was conducted. Serum samples were collected from seven groups of individuals: 75 patients with AIDS-KS, 5 with classic KS, 16 with African KS, 495 with HIV/AIDS, 805 patients with chronic kidney disease, 683 handicapped individuals, and 757 health care workers.

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) antibodies in women from São Paulo, Brazil. Association with behavioral factors and Kaposi's sarcoma.

Background: With the spread of AIDS, many HIV-infected women have been diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), especially in Africa. Since the discovery of a novel herpesvirus as the causative agent of KS (human herpesvirus 8 - HHV-8) several seroepidemiological studies have been conducted to identify groups at risk for KS. The risk for women in Brazil has not been studied.