14th ICID - Poster Abstracts - International Society for Infectious ...

When citing these abstracts please use the following reference:
Author(s) of abstract. Title of abstract [abstract]. Int J Infect Dis 2010;14S1: Abstract number.
Please note that the official publication of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2010, Volume 14, Supplement 1
is available electronically on http://www.sciencedirect.com
Final Abstract Number: 78.016
Session: HIV: Opportunistic Infections & Malignancies
Date: Friday, March 12, 2010
Time: 12:30-13:30
Room: Poster & Exhibition Area/Ground Level
Type: Poster Presentation
Risk of an outbreak of Kaposi’s sarcoma associated with HIV/AIDS in Mozambique
A. Caterino-de-Araujo 1 , R. C. R. Manuel 2 , R. Del Bianco 3 , E. Santos-Fortuna 4 , M. C. Magri 5 , J.
M. K. Silva 4 , R. Bastos 6
1 Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 2 Universidade Eduardo Mondalane, Maputo,
Mozambique, 3 AIDS Reference Centre of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 4 Instituto Adolfo Lutz,
São Paulo, Brazil, 5 Instituto Adolfo Lutz and Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas - USP, São
Paulo, Brazil, 6 Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
Background: Infection with HIV-1 has been considered an important co-factor in the
development of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), and antiretroviral therapy (ARV) has proven to be benefit
to diminish KS-AIDS worldwide. In many African countries, KS has risen dramatically since the
onset of the AIDS epidemic. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is the etiological agent of KS. In
Mozambique, no large study on HHV-8 infection has been conducted yet. The present study
aimed to: (i) present and compare the frequencies and titers of HHV-8 antibodies in serum
samples of KS and non-KS individuals from Mozambique, (ii) identify variables associated with
HHV-8 infection, and (iii) search for predictive markers for KS development.
Methods: In-house immunofluorescence assays were employed for HHV-8 antibody detection in
sera from individuals seen at public health centers in Northern (n=208), Central (n=226), and
Southern (n=318) Mozambique, and in 24 KS patients. HIV serology was used for comparative
analysis. Socioeconomic, demographic and clinical data were assessed by interview. The study
was approved by all participant institutions.
Results: The overall frequency of HHV-8 antibodies was 21.4% and, in spite of the diversity of
epidemiological characteristics of the tested individuals, did not differ significantly among regions:
18.7%, 24.3% and 21.4% in Northern, Central and Southern Mozambique, respectively (X2, 2.37;
p=0.305). The variables that were significantly associated with the presence of HHV-8 antibodies
were gender, age, level of education, number of siblings and HIV serostatus, but these differed
across the regions. The overall prevalence of HHV-8 seropositivity increased with age. High titers
of HHV-8 antibodies also against latent antigens were detected in KS patients and in non-KS
individuals co-infected with HIV-1, and this increased titer could have predictive value. Large
number of participants (30% to 50%) unknown its real HIV serostatus, thus they were not under
ARV therapy.
Conclusion: These results demonstrate that Mozambique is another country in Africa with
endemic HHV-8 infection and that, because of the AIDS epidemic suggests universal access to
antiretroviral treatment to avoid an outbreak of AIDS-KS.
Support: CNPq (PROAFRICA grant number 490452/2007-8), fellowship to ACA (grant
number 304372/2006-4), and Instituto Adolfo Lutz (CTC 55/06)