HUMAN-HERPESVIRUS-8 INFECTION OCCURS FOLLOWING ADOLESCENCE IN THE UNITED-STATES

Most recent evidence suggests that human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infecti on is restricted to persons with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) or to persons w ho may subsequently develop KS. To accurately determine the prevalence of infection in the United States, children and adults with AIDS were examined for evidence of HHV-8 infection to see whether HHV-8 (like o ther herpesviruses) would be readily detected in immunosuppressed pers ons. By use of nested polymerase chain reaction, DNA specific for HHV- 8, Epstein-Barr virus, and cytomegalovirus was detected in blood leuko cytes from 0, 26 (51%), and 9 (18%), respectively, of 51 children. Sim ilarly, HHV-8-specific antibodies were not detected in analyses of ser a from the children. By contrast, HHV-8 DNA was detected in 9 (27%) of 33 adult AIDS patients without KS. These findings suggest that the pa ttern of transmission of HHV-8 in the United States differs from that of other herpesviruses in that primary infection occurs predominantly in adults.