Detection of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in oral and genital secretions of Zimbabwean women

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in oral and genital secretio ns of women may be involved in horizontal and vertical transmission in ende mic regions. Nested polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect KS HV DNA sequences in one-third of oral, vaginal, and cervical specimens and in 42% of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) specimens collected from 41 women infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 who had Kaposi' s sarcoma (KS). KSHV DNA was not detected in specimens from 100 women witho ut KS, 9 of whom were seropositive for KSHV. A positive association was obs erved between KSHV DNA detection in oral and genital mucosa, neither of whi ch was associated with KSHV DNA detection in PBMC, These data suggest that KSHV replicates in preferred anatomic sites at levels independent of PBMC v iremia, Detection of genital-tract KSHV only among relatively immunosuppres sed women may provide an explanation for infrequent perinatal transmission of KSHV.