Nasrallah Gheyath K, Dargham Soha R, Abu-Raddad Laith J
Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
BioMedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Heliyon. 2019 Oct 23;5(10):e02549. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02549. eCollection 2019 Oct.
Existing evidence on an epidemiological association between herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 and type 2 infections remains conflicting and inconclusive. Using a multi-national database of HSV-1/2 serological testing, we aimed to assess the existence of an association between both infections.
An HSV-1/2 cross-sectional serological testing database was assembled by merging databases of seroprevalence studies on men blood donors residing currently in Qatar, but from different countries. Specimens were tested for anti-HSV-1 IgG antibodies using HerpeSelect® 1 ELISA, and for anti-HSV-2 IgG antibodies following a two-test algorithm: HerpeSelect® 2 ELISA to test the sera, and Euroline-WB to confirm positive and equivocal specimens. Logistic regressions were conducted to estimate unadjusted and adjusted infection odds ratios.
Serological testing for HSV-1/2 was performed on 2522 specimens. Sero-positivity for HSV-1 and HSV-2 was identified in 2053 (81.5%) and 87 (3.5%) specimens, respectively. Univariable analyses estimated higher odds of HSV-2 infection with increasing age and increasing country income level, and an unadjusted odds ratio with HSV-1 sero-positivity of 0.71 (95% CI 0.43-1.17; p-value 0.172). Adjusting for age and country income level, the adjusted odds ratio of HSV-2 infection with HSV-1 sero-positivity was 0.51 (95% CI 0.30-0.87; p-value 0.013). Sensitivity analyses confirmed this association.
There is a negative association between HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections, suggestive of a protective effect for HSV-1 sero-positivity against HSV-2 acquisition. This finding supports earlier pooled but inconclusive evidence from prospective studies, yet contrasts with pooled findings of earlier cross-sectional studies.
关于1型和2型单纯疱疹病毒（HSV）感染之间流行病学关联的现有证据仍相互矛盾且尚无定论。利用一个HSV-1/2血清学检测的多国数据库，我们旨在评估这两种感染之间关联的存在情况。
设计、背景与参与者：通过合并目前居住在卡塔尔但来自不同国家的男性献血者血清流行率研究数据库，组建了一个HSV-1/2横断面血清学检测数据库。使用HerpeSelect® 1 ELISA检测标本中的抗HSV-1 IgG抗体，并按照两步检测算法检测抗HSV-2 IgG抗体：先用HerpeSelect® 2 ELISA检测血清，再用Euroline-WB确认阳性和疑似标本。进行逻辑回归以估计未调整和调整后的感染比值比。
对2522份标本进行了HSV-1/2血清学检测。分别在2053份（81.5%）和87份（3.5%）标本中检测到HSV-1和HSV-2血清阳性。单变量分析估计，随着年龄增长和国家收入水平提高，HSV-2感染的几率更高，HSV-1血清阳性的未调整比值比为0.71（95%置信区间0.43 - 1.17；p值0.172）。在调整年龄和国家收入水平后，HSV-1血清阳性时HSV-2感染的调整后比值比为0.51（95%置信区间0.30 - 0.87；p值0.013）。敏感性分析证实了这种关联。
HSV-1和HSV-2感染之间存在负相关，提示HSV-1血清阳性对HSV-2感染具有保护作用。这一发现支持了早期前瞻性研究汇总但尚无定论的证据，但与早期横断面研究的汇总结果相反。
