Wilkinson D, Sheldon J, Gilks C F, Schulz T F
Centre for Epidemiological Research in Southern Africa, Medical Research Council, Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal.
S Afr Med J. 1999 May;89(5):554-7.
To determine prevalence of infection with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8)/Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) and to gain some insight into possible transmission dynamics of this novel virus in South Africa.
Stored, anonymous serum from 50 patients with a sexually transmitted disease (STD), 50 adult medical ward patients (25 male, 25 female), and 36 paediatric ward patients in Hlabisa Hospital, KwaZulu-Natal, was screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibodies to the small capsid-related protein encoded by HHV-8/KSHV orf65. Antibodies to the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) were measured by immunofluorescence, and sera that were reactive in the ELISA but negative by immunofluorescence were re-tested by Western blot against the recombinant orf65 protein to exclude nonspecific reactivity.
Overall, 47 patients tested positive (34.6%), 76 tested negative (55.9%) and 13 (9.5%) had indeterminate results. Among those with a definite result, prevalence was similar among males (47.2%) and females (52.8%) and increased in later adulthood (< 18 months 37.5%, 19-120 months 38.5%, 15-34 years 32.1%, 35-69 years 62.8%). Prevalence was highest among medical patients (58.1%); among those with an STD it was 31.1% (P = 0.01), and among children it was 22.8% (P = 0.001). When age-adjusted, prevalence among medical patients (23.7%) was similar to that among patients with an STD.
Prevalence of HHV-8/KSHV is high in this setting and transmission appears to be occurring in childhood as well as among adults. Larger population-based studies are required to detail the transmission dynamics of HHSV-8/KSHV.
确定人类疱疹病毒8型（HHV-8）/卡波西肉瘤疱疹病毒（KSHV）的感染率，并深入了解这种新型病毒在南非可能的传播动态。
采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法，对夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省赫拉比萨医院50例性传播疾病（STD）患者、50例成人内科病房患者（25例男性，25例女性）和36例儿科病房患者储存的匿名血清进行筛查，检测针对HHV-8/KSHV orf65编码的小衣壳相关蛋白的抗体。通过免疫荧光法检测潜伏相关核抗原（LANA）抗体，对ELISA反应阳性但免疫荧光法阴性的血清，采用重组orf65蛋白进行免疫印迹再检测，以排除非特异性反应。
总体而言，47例患者检测呈阳性（34.6%），76例检测呈阴性（55.9%），13例（9.5%）结果不确定。在结果明确的患者中，男性（47.2%）和女性（52.8%）的感染率相似，且在成年后期有所上升（<18个月37.5%，19 - 120个月38.5%，15 - 34岁32.1%，35 - 69岁62.8%）。内科患者中的感染率最高（58.1%）；STD患者中的感染率为31.1%（P = 0.01），儿童中的感染率为22.8%（P = 0.001）。经年龄调整后，内科患者中的感染率（23.7%）与STD患者相似。
在该环境中，HHV-8/KSHV的感染率很高，传播似乎在儿童期和成人中均有发生。需要开展更大规模的基于人群的研究，以详细了解HHV-8/KSHV的传播动态。
