Detection of human herpesvirus 8 in cervicovaginal secretions and seroprevalence in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-seropositive and -seronegative women

Epidemiologic studies suggest that human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) may be sexua lly transmitted, To study the potential for HHV-8 transmission through cerv icovaginal(CV) secretions, the presence of HHV-8 DNA was investigated by ne sted polymerase chain reaction in the cellular fraction of CV secretions fr om 36 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-seropositive and 29 HIV-1 -seronegative women. The same patients were tested for antibodies to two de fined HHV-8 antigens (latency-associated nuclear antigen and open-reading f rame 65-encoded structural protein) and for HHV-8 DNA in their peripheral b lood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The findings were compared with the rate of HHV-8 detection in semen samples of 20 HIV-1-infected men. HHV-8 DNA was de tected in the CV samples from only 1 HHV-8-seropositive AIDS patient, in 3 PBMC samples (1/29 HIV-1-seronegative patients, 1/3 AIDS patients with Kapo si's sarcoma, and 1/19 AIDS patients), and in 1 of 20 semen samples. HHV-8 infection was more common in HIV-1-infected than uninfected women, Thus HHV -8 DNA is only rarely detectable in CV secretions and semen of HHV-8-infect ed individuals.