Human herpesvirus-8 infection among heterosexual partners of patients with classical Kaposi's sarcoma.

Abstract

DNA sequences of human herpesvirus-8 (HHV8) are found in lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). To verify the hypothesis of the sexual transmission of HHV8 infection. We used the immunoperoxidase assay to study the prevalence of serum antibodies to HHV8-related antigens in 27 consorts of patients with classical KS, and in a control group of 25 healthy women. Forty-four per cent of the study group were positive, compared with 8% of the controls. The sexual route may be one of the possible ways of transmission of the HHV8 virus.