Human herpesvirus 8 (Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus) infection in men receiving treatment for HIV-1 infection

Objective: To determine the prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection 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 immunofluorescent assay and the presence of HHV-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was detected by polymerase chain reaction amplification. Results: Among HIV-l-infected men who did not:have Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), prevalence of HHV-8 infection was 46% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.52), LANA seropositivity was common both among subjects with KS and subjects without KS (69% versus 42%; p = .06), but detection of HHV-8 DNA in peripheral 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 significant for CD4(+) lymphocyte count, HIV-1 virus load, the use of three drug antiretroviral regimens or the prior occurrence of non-KS AIDS-related conditions. Conclusion: Although antibodies to HHV-8 are common among HIV-l-infected men, detection of HHV-8 DNA in PBMC is uncommon and is associated with a diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma.