Seroprevalence and determinants of human herpes virus 8 infection in adult Nigerians with and without HIV-1 infection

Background: There is a dearth of studies on HHV8-HIV co-infections from Nigeria, even as both infections have been shown to be endemic in Africa. This study examined the seroprevalence and determinants of HHV8 infections in adult Nigerians with and without HIV-infection. Methods: In 2007, a cross sectional study undertaken in a tertiary hospital in Zaria, northern Nigeria enrolled 71 HIV-1 positive adults without Kaposi's sarcoma and 85 apparently healthy HIV-negative adult volunteers of the general population. Anti-lytic antibodies to HHV8 infection was determined by ELISA. A univariate analysis including age, sex, marital status, past sexually transmitted disease (STD), past blood transfusion, HIV/AIDS staging and CD4 count was used to determine variables associated with HHV8 seropositivity. Significant variables were adjusted in a logistic regression model expressed in odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). P<0.05 was considered significant Results: The seroprevalence of HHV8 infection was 62% in HIV-1 positive patients and 25.9% in HIV negative adults (p<0.001). A past history of STD [OR=2.88, 95% CI=1.0-8.2] and advanced HIV/AIDS (WHO stage 3 and 4) [OR=3.5, 95% CI=1.21-10.1] were the only variables independently associated with HHV8 seropositivity in HIV-infected patients. In HIV-negative adults, none of the variables was significantly associated with HHV8 seropositivity. Conclusion: The study findings suggest an adverse interaction between HHV8 and HIV-1. The higher prevalence of HHV8 infection in HIV-infected patients and its association with STD support a predominant sexual route of HHV8 transmission among adult Nigerians.