Seroepidemiology of Human Herpesvirus 8 Among Young Men Who ... : Sexually Transmitted Diseases (original) (raw)

Article

DIAMOND, CATHERINE MD, MPH*; THIEDE, HANNE DVM, MPH†; PERDUE, THOMAS BS†; MacKELLAR, DUNCAN MA, MPH‡; VALLEROY, LINDA A. Ph D‡; COREY, LAWRENCE MD† THE SEATTLE YOUNG MEN’S SURVEY TEAM

From the *Irvine Medical Center, University of California, Orange, California; †Department of Public Health, Seattle and King County, Seattle, Washington; ‡Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and the §Divisions of Laboratory and Internal Medicine and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Program in Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

The authors are grateful for the laboratory assistance of the technicians at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, including Rosemary Obrigewitch and Anne Cent, and from the Public Health-Seattle and King County Laboratory, including Sheila McBeth. They also thank the participants and collaborating venues.

This study was funded through cooperative agreement U62/CCU006260 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA).

Reprint requests: Catherine Diamond, UCI Medical Center, 101 City Drive South, Building 11 Route 81, Orange CA 92868. E-mail: [email protected]

Received for publication May 2, 2000,

revised July 19, 2000, and accepted July 31, 2000.

Abstract

Background

The modes of transmission of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) remain unclear.

Goal

To study HHV-8 seroprevalence and risk factors among young men.

Study Design

The Young Men’s Survey was a multisite cross-sectional HIV seroprevalence and behavioral risk survey of men aged 15 to 22 years who attended public venues frequented by young men who have sex with men (MSM). Blood specimens were tested for HHV-8 by using an immunofluorescence assay at a 1:40 dilution among 488 participants in Seattle-King County, WA.

Results

Total HHV-8 seroprevalence was 6% among MSM and 5% among men who have sex only with women (MSW). In multivariate analysis, unprotected receptive anal sex during the past 6 months, injection drug use, and cytomegalovirus infection were associated with HHV-8 seropositivity in MSM.

Conclusion

The HHV-8 seroprevalence among these young MSM was similar to the HHV-8 seroprevalence among young MSW, but lower than seroprevalence estimates in earlier studies of older MSM. The association of MSM between HHV-8 infection and unprotected receptive anal sex supports previous findings that HHV-8 is sexually transmitted. Although CMV infection and injection drug use may be markers for unsafe sexual practices, it is also possible that these are independent risk factors for acquiring HHV-8.