Human Herpesvirus 8 Is Present in the Lymphoid System of Healthy Persons and Can Reactivate in the Course of AIDS

Abstract

In this study the prevalence of human herpesvirus (HHV) 8 DNA was determined in biopsies from persons with lymphoproliferative disorders and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seronegative and HIV-infected persons. The results show that HHV-8 is present in ∼10% of biopsies from HIV-seronegative persons; HHV-8 is detected with similar prevalence values in HIV-infected patients with lymphoproliferative diseases, but the virus load is higher. HHV-8 was also found in PBMC. The presence of monoclonal Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genomes in malignant lymphoproliferations was only infrequently associated with HHV-8 infection. Therefore,HHV-8 is fairly common in the population, and the lymphoid system could represent a reservoiroflatently infected cells from which the virusmay reactivate in conditions of immunodepression; furthermore, HHV-8 and EBVdo not seem to act in conjunction in lymphomagenesis.