AEGiS-13IAC: Lack in detecting an association between the presence og human herpesvirus 8 antibodies and the development of Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV-1-infected patiets recieving anti-retroviral therapy.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Lack in detecting an association between the presence og human herpesvirus 8 antibodies and the development of Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV-1-infected patiets recieving anti-retroviral therapy.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. WeOrA474)

Caterino-De-Araujo A, Carbone PH, Martinelli FL, Santos-Fortuna E, Moreira AA, Suleiman J, Barra LA
A. Caterino-De-Araujo, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, AV DR Arnaldo 355 11, Seqao De Imunologia, Sao Paulo 01246-902, Brazil, Tel.: +551 130 610 111, Fax: +551 185 335 05, E-mail: caterino@ial.sp.gov.br

BACKGROUND: Search for HHV-8 antibodies in HIV-1-infected patients from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and establish a prognostic value of these antibodies in predicting the development of Kaposi' s sarcoma (KS).

METHODS: Commercial ELISA kit (HHV-8 IgG Antibody, Advanced Biotechnologies Inc., Maryland, USA) which detect antibodies to the majority of HHV-8 structural proteins was employed in serum samples analyses. The samples were from a bank and belonged to a cohort of 493 HIV-1-infected patients attended at Instituto de Infectologia Emilio Ribas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1994. During a 5-year follow-up they received medical care and anti-retroviral therapy, firstly with transcriptase inhibitors, and since 1996, protease inhibitors. Epidemiological and medical data from patients were obtained from medical records.

RESULTS: Of the 493 patients, 322 were men and 171 women. The patients had the following risk factors for acquiring HIV-1 infection: 358 were at sexual risk (129 homo/bisexual men, I homosexual women, 101 heterosexual men, and 127 heterosexual women), 77 were intravenous drug users (IVDU, 55 men and 22 women), 6 had blood transfusion (2 men and 4 women), and 52 had unknown risk factors (35 men and 17 women). The overall frequency of HHV-8 antibodies was 17.2% but varied according to risk factor: the highest percentage was detected among homo/bisexual men (34.1%) followed by men with unknown risk factor (28.6%) and heterosexual men (15.8%). Of note was the detection of such antibodies among heterosexual women (7.1%) and women with unknown risk factor (11.8%). Few cases of HHV-8-seropositivity were detected among IVDU (5.2%), and no case in blood transfusion group. Although the high percentage of HHV-8 seropositivity in these groups of patients, only 10 (2% of cases) developed KS.

CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained supports the view that HHV-8 is easily transmitted by sexual routes, mostly among homosexual or bisexual men, and shows that HHV-8 antibodies have no value in predicting KS in HIV-1-infected patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy. Support: FAPESP grant number 98/13313-5.

Keywords: AEGIS, Sarcoma, Kaposi, Herpesvirus 8, Human, HIV-1, Heterosexuality, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, Substance Abuse, Intravenous, Risk Factors, Homosexuality, Brazil, Maryland, Human, Male, Female, pathogenicity
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