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Oral HHV‐8 replication among women in Mombasa, Kenya
Author(s) -
Phipps Warren,
Saracino Misty,
Selke Stacy,
Huang MeeiLi,
Jaoko Walter,
Mandaliya Kishorchandra,
Wald Anna,
Casper Corey,
McClelland R. Scott
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.23941
Subject(s) - viral shedding , virology , saliva , polymerase chain reaction , cohort , human herpesvirus 6 , biology , cohort study , transmission (telecommunications) , medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , virus , immunology , viral disease , herpesviridae , gene , genetics , electrical engineering , engineering
Human herpesvirus‐8 (HHV‐8) replication in the oropharynx may play an important role in HHV‐8 transmission and contribute to the development of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) in some individuals. Studies in the United States and Europe report high rates of HHV‐8 DNA detection in saliva of HHV‐8 infected men, but little is known about the natural history of HHV‐8 among persons in sub‐Saharan Africa, where prevalence of HHV‐8 infection and KS is greatest. To address this gap, this study evaluated oral HHV‐8 replication in a cohort of 40 HHV‐8 seropositive Kenyan women. Study clinicians collected daily oral swabs from participants for up to 30 consecutive days, and swab samples were tested for HHV‐8 DNA using quantitative, real‐time polymerase chain reaction. HHV‐8 was detected at least once in 27 (68%) participants, and the overall shedding rate was 23%. On days with HHV‐8 detection, mean HHV‐8 quantity was 4.5 log 10 copies/ml. Among HIV‐infected women, CD4 count ≥500 cells/mm 3 versus <500 cells/mm 3 was associated with higher HHV‐8 copy number (4.8 log 10 copies/ml vs. 3.4 log 10 copies/ml; coef 1.2 [95% CI, 0.5–1.9]; P = 0.001) and a higher HHV‐8 shedding rate (49% vs.12%; RR, 4.2 [95% CI, 0.8–21.4]; P = 0.08). No other factors were associated with HHV‐8 shedding rate or copy number. The study demonstrates high rates and quantity of HHV‐8 in the oropharynx of HHV‐8 seropositive African women. These findings support the observation that oral replication is an essential feature of HHV‐8 infection, with likely implications for HHV‐8 transmission and KS pathogenesis. J. Med. Virol. 86: 1759–1765, 2014 . © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.