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- Title
High seroprevalence of antibodies to human herpesvirus-8 in Egyptian children: evidence of nonsexual transmission.
- Authors
Andreoni, Massimo; El-Sawaf, Gamal; Rezza, Giovanni; Ensoli, Barbara; Nicastri, Emanuele; Ventura, Laura; Ercoli, Lucia; Sarmati, Loredana; Rocchi, Giovanni; Andreoni, M; El-Sawaf, G; Rezza, G; Ensoli, B; Nicastri, E; Ventura, L; Ercoli, L; Sarmati, L; Rocchi, G
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>In western countries, human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) appears to be transmitted mainly by sexual contact. To evaluate the role of other transmission routes, especially in developing countries, we estimated the seroprevalence of HHV-8 in Egyptian children, who, if seropositive, would have acquired the virus through a nonsexual route.<bold>Methods: </bold>Sera from 196 children (<1-12 years of age), 20 adolescents (13-20 years of age), and 30 young adults (21-25 years of age) attending a vaccination program in Alexandria, Egypt, were studied. Immunofluorescence assays were used to detect antibodies against HHV-8 lytic-phase antigens (anti-lytic) and latent-phase antigens (anti-latent). Antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus viral cap antigen, cytomegalovirus, and HHV-6 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Seroprevalence of these herpesviruses was calculated after stratifying the subjects by age.<bold>Results: </bold>Anti-lytic and anti-latent HHV-8 antibodies were detected in 44.7% and 8.5% of the study participants, respectively. The prevalence of anti-lytic antibodies tended to increase with age, exceeding 50% in children older than 6 years; once children reached the age of 10 years, the prevalence tended to stabilize. The seroprevalence of other herpesviruses tended to be higher than that of HHV-8, ranging from approximately 83% to more than 97% in the 9- to 12-year age group. One- to 3-year-old children had higher titers of antilytic HHV-8 antibodies than children in the other age groups. Anti-latent antibodies were more frequently detected in individuals with high anti-lytic antibody titers.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>HHV-8 antibodies are highly prevalent in Egyptian children, suggesting that, in developing countries, HHV-8 infection may be acquired early in life through routes other than sexual transmission. The lower seroprevalence of HHV-8 relative to that of the other herpesviruses suggests that HHV-8 is less transmissible than other common herpesviruses.
- Subjects
EGYPT; HERPESVIRUSES; JUVENILE diseases
- Publication
JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1999, Vol 91, Issue 5, p465
- ISSN
0027-8874
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/jnci/91.5.465