HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS-2 MAY INCREASE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE SEXUAL TRANSMISSION OF HEPATITIS-C

Objectives: Antibodies against herpes simplex viruses-1 and -2, cytome galovirus, and syphilis were determined in six heterosexual couples wi th strong indications of having sexually transmitted hepatitis C virus infection and in 17 other heterosexual couples in which one partner w as hepatitis C virus viremic (source partner), but the other had remai ned hepatitis C virus uninfected (exposed partner). Study Design. Anti body testing was done with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti- herpes simplex virus 2 and anti-hepatitis C virus findings were furthe r confirmed by immunoblotting. Hepatitis C virus RNA was determined by polymerase chain reaction and genotyped with type-specific primers. R esults. Five of six anti-hepatitis C,virus-positive exposed heterosexu al partners without parenteral risk factors, compared with three of 17 anti-hepatitis C virus-negative exposed partners, had antibodies to h erpes simplex virus-2. On the other hand, no statistically significant difference was found regarding the frequency of herpes simplex virus- 2 seropositivity when source partners in the anti-hepatitis C virus co ncordant and discordant couples were compared. The presence of antibod ies to herpes simplex virus-1, cytomegalovirus, and syphilis did not s ignificantly differ between source or exposed partners in anti-hepatit is C virus concordant and discordant couples, respectively. No predomi nance of any one hepatitis C virus genotype or liver morphology in cou ples concordant compared with discordant for anti-hepatitis C virus wa s found. Conclusions. The findings support the role of herpes simplex virus-2 in the heterosexual transmission of hepatitis C virus infectio ns, and more specifically an increase in susceptibility to hepatitis C virus infections in exposed heterosexual partners with antibodies to herpes simplex virus-2.