AEGiS-11IAC: Anti-KSHV antibody seroconversion in patients with AIDS.

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Anti-KSHV antibody seroconversion in patients with AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:215 (abstract no. Th.A.274)
Gao SJ, Kingsley L, Hoover D, Rinaldo C, Saah A, Phair J, Detels R, Spira TJ, Holmberg S, Chang Y, Moore PS; Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of specific antibodies to KSHV in patients with AIDS and their prevalence in the general population.

METHODS: A Western-blotting assay was developed for the detection of antibodies to two latent nuclear antigens (LNAs) of KSHV. The sensitivity and specificity of the serologic assay was determined by examining sera from 40 AIDS-KS case patients, 40 AIDS control patients without KS, 122 blood donors from the general population and 22 Epstein-barr virus (EBV) capsid antigen (VCA) positive blood samples submitted for anti-EBV antibody screening at a clinical laboratory. Seroconversion among AIDS-KS patients was determined by examining banked longitudinal sera from 40 AIDS-KS patients enrolled in Multi-center AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). These AIDS-KS sera were taken one to 103 months (average of 47.26 months) prior to KS onset in the patients. Sera from one classical KS patient and one HIV seronegative patient with body cavity based lymphoma (BCBL) were also examined for anti-LNAs antibodies.

RESULTS: Antibodies to LNAs were found in sera of 31 (77.5%) of 40 AIDS-KS patients, 7 (17.5%) of 40 AIDS patients without KS, 0 of 122 general population blood donors and 0 of 22 EBV-VCA positive blood samples. Antibodies to the EBV latent antigen, EBNA-1 were detected in sera of all 40 AIDS-KS patients, all 40 AIDS patients without KS, 108 (88.5%) of 122 general population blood donors and all 22 EBV-VCA positive blood samples. Sera of 32 (80%) of 40 AIDS-KS patients were seropositive prior to onset of disease. Eighteen (45%) of the 40 AIDS-KS patients were initially LNAs seronegative but subsequently seroconverted to LNAs positive during the course of study. A classical KS patient and a HIV-negative patient with BCBL were also seropositive to LNAs.

CONCLUSIONS: Serologic assay for LNAs of KSHV is approximately 77.5% sensitive for detecting past KSHV infection. Anti-LNAs antibodies are uncommon among AIDS patients without KS and blood donors in the general population. Therefore, KSHV infection is not ubiquitous.

Keywords: AEGIS, Herpesvirus 8, Human, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic, Herpesvirus 4, Human, HIV Infections, Capsid, HIV-1, Blood Donors, Cohort Studies, HIV Seropositivity, HIV Seronegativity, HIV, Prevalence, Human, immunology, ICA11

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ThA274