Objective: To determine the prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infec
tion in men treated for HIV-1 infection in Denver, Colorado,
Design: Cross-sectional analysis
Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 216 HIV-1-infected men. Antibody
to latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) was detected by an immunofluor
escent assay and the presence of HHV-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell
s (PBMC) was detected by polymerase chain reaction amplification.
Results: Among HIV-l-infected men who did not:have Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), p
revalence of HHV-8 infection was 46% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.
52), LANA seropositivity was common both among subjects with KS and subject
s without KS (69% versus 42%; p = .06), but detection of HHV-8 DNA in perip
heral blood was strongly associated with a diagnosis of KS (44% versus 10%;
p = .001). In a univariate analysis of study subjects without KS, neither
the odds of LANA seropositivity nor detection of HHV-8 DNA in PBMC was sign
ificant for CD4(+) lymphocyte count, HIV-1 virus load, the use of three dru
g antiretroviral regimens or the prior occurrence of non-KS AIDS-related co
nditions.
Conclusion: Although antibodies to HHV-8 are common among HIV-l-infected me
n, detection of HHV-8 DNA in PBMC is uncommon and is associated with a diag
nosis of Kaposi's sarcoma.