Human herpesvirus 8 seroprevalence in an STD clinic in Paris: A study of 512 patients

Abstract

Background: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is thought to be possibly sexually transmitted in some populations, but few data are available on this mode of transmission. Goal: The goal was to study HHV-8 seroprevalence in patients attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic and to search for predictive factors of HHV-8 seropositivity. Study Design: Five hundred twelve consecutive patients attending the STD clinic of Hôpital Saint-Louis (Paris) were tested for HHV-8 antibodies (immunofluorescence assay using two cell lines, BCP-1 and ISI n. butyrate [3 mmol/l]). A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain demographic, behavioral, and clinical data. Predictive factors of HHV-8 seropositivity were considered in univariate and multivariate analysis with use of logistic regression models. Results: In testing of the patients for HHV-8 antibodies, 67/512 (13.1%) tested positive: 53/346 (15.3%) of men and 14/166 (8.4%) of women (P = 0.03). The predictive factors of HHV-8 seropositivity for men were the country of origin (Central Africa, odds ratio [OR]: 7.5; North Africa, OR: 5.5), homosexuality (OR: 3.7), and visiting prostitutes (OR: 7.1). For women they were country of origin (Central Africa, OR: 8.3) and presence of HSV-2 antibodies (OR: 6.5, tendency). Conclusion: Our study does not show clear relationships between HHV-8 seropositivity and sexual behavior, apart from homosexuality, but visiting prostitutes (for men) and HSV-2 seropositivity (for women) could be subtle clues supporting the hypothesis of heterosexual transmission.