Molecular Basis of Disease Research Program, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia.
Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Viruses. 2022 Oct 3;14(10):2185. doi: 10.3390/v14102185.
Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), the causative agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma, multicentric Castleman’s disease and primary effusion lymphoma, predominantly manifests in immunocompromised individuals. However, infection in immunocompetent individuals does occur. The prevalence of HHV-8 exposure in blood donors from non-endemic countries ranges between 1.2% and 7.3%. Nothing was known about the prevalence in Australian blood donors. Therefore, this study investigated the active and cumulative exposure of HHV-8 in this cohort. Plasma samples (n = 480) were collected from eastern Australian blood donors and were tested for HHV-8 DNA by qPCR, and for HHV-8 antibodies by two different ELISAs. Samples initially positive on either ELISA were retested in duplicate on both, and on a mock-coated ELISA. Any samples positive two or three out of the three times tested on at least one ELISA, and repeat negative on the mock-coated ELISA, were assigned as repeat positive. None of the 480 samples tested contained HHV-8 DNA. Serological testing revealed 28 samples (5.83%; 95% CI: 3.74−7.93%) had antibodies to HHV-8. There was no difference (p > 0.05) in seropositivity between sex or with increasing age. This is the first study to show serological evidence of cumulative HHV-8 exposure and no HHV-8 DNAemia within a select blood donor population in Australia. Our molecular and serological data is consistent with published results for blood donors residing in HHV-8 non-endemic countries, which shows the prevalence to be very low.
人类疱疹病毒 8（HHV-8）是卡波西肉瘤、多中心型 Castleman 病和原发性渗出性淋巴瘤的病原体，主要发生在免疫功能低下的个体中。然而，免疫功能正常的个体也会感染。非流行地区献血者中 HHV-8 暴露的流行率在 1.2%至 7.3%之间。澳大利亚献血者中 HHV-8 的流行率尚不清楚。因此，本研究调查了该队列中 HHV-8 的活跃和累积暴露情况。从澳大利亚东部的献血者中采集了血浆样本（n=480），通过 qPCR 检测 HHV-8 DNA，通过两种不同的 ELISA 检测 HHV-8 抗体。最初在任一种 ELISA 上呈阳性的样本在两种 ELISA 上重复检测，在模拟包被 ELISA 上重复检测。任何样本在至少一种 ELISA 上三次检测中两次或三次呈阳性，且在模拟包被 ELISA 上重复检测呈阴性，均被指定为重复阳性。在 480 个测试样本中，均未检出 HHV-8 DNA。血清学检测显示 28 个样本（5.83%；95%CI：3.74-7.93%）存在针对 HHV-8 的抗体。血清学阳性率在性别或年龄增长方面没有差异（p>0.05）。这是第一项在澳大利亚选择的献血者人群中显示 HHV-8 累积暴露和无 HHV-8 血症的血清学证据的研究。我们的分子和血清学数据与 HHV-8 非流行地区的献血者的已发表结果一致，表明流行率非常低。
