Antibody Reactivity to Latent and Lytic Antigens to Human Herpesvirus–8 in Longitudinally Followed Homosexual Men

Tests for human herpesvirus–8 (HHV-8) often disagree on which individuals are infected. To evaluate HHV-8 antibody changes over many years, 245 homosexual men enrolled in a prospective study between 1982 and 1999 were studied. Samples collected annually were evaluated by immunofluorescence to HHV-8...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 2003-01, Vol.187 (1), p.12-18
Main Authors: Biggar, Robert J., Engels, Eric A., Whitby, Denise, Kedes, Dean H., Goedert, James J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibodies
Antibodies, Viral - blood
Antigens
Antigens, Viral - immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Glycoproteins - immunology
Herpesviridae
Herpesvirus 8, Human - immunology
HIV
HIV Infections - immunology
Homosexuality, Male
Human herpesvirus 8
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infections
Infectious diseases
Kaposi sarcoma
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Male homosexuality
Medical sciences
Nuclear Proteins - immunology
Phosphoproteins - immunology
Prospective Studies
Reactivity
Sarcoma, Kaposi - immunology
Viral diseases
Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
Viral Proteins - immunology
Virus Latency
Viruses
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Summary:Tests for human herpesvirus–8 (HHV-8) often disagree on which individuals are infected. To evaluate HHV-8 antibody changes over many years, 245 homosexual men enrolled in a prospective study between 1982 and 1999 were studied. Samples collected annually were evaluated by immunofluorescence to HHV-8 latent nuclear antigen and by an ELISA for antibody against the HHV-8 lytic antigen K8.1. When positive, samples from most subjects were persistently reactive in both assays. Titers to both lytic and latent antibodies increased for many years, usually in parallel, and were higher in human immunodeficiency virus–infected men. The increasing titers and expanding epitope recognition suggest ongoing, low-grade replication of HHV-8. Use of multiple assays is important in determining prevalence in asymptomatic populations. Because persons with more advanced infections have higher antibody titers, they are easier to detect, which may skew our understanding of the epidemiology of HHV-8
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1086/345866