HIV/AIDS: Research and Palliative Care (Jul 2022)
Molecular Epidemiology of Human Herpes Virus Type 8 Among Patients with Compromised Immune System in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Abstract
Nakougou Mo&idigr;-bohm Biatougou,1 Muriel S Ouedraogo,2 Serge Theophile Soubeiga,3,4 Theodora Mahoukede Zohoncon,1,5 Paul Ouedraogo,5 Dorcas Obiri-Yeboah,6 Aziz Sidi Aristide Tapsoba,1 Touwendpoulimdé Isabelle Kiendrebeogo,1,3 Tani Sagna,4 Pascal Niamba,2 Adama Traore,2 Jacques Simpore1,3 1Biochemistry and Microbiology Department, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics (LABIOGENE), University Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 2Department of Dermatology, Yalgado Ouedraogo Hospital University Centre, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 3Department of Biomedical Research, Biomolecular Research Centre Pietro Annigoni (CERBA), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 4Department of Biomedical and Public Health, Research Institute of Health Sciences (IRSS), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 5Department of Medicine, Saint Thomas d’Aquin University (USTA), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 6Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, GhanaCorrespondence: Serge Theophile Soubeiga, Department of Biomedical and Public Health, Research Institute for Health Sciences (IRSS), P.O. 03. BOX 7047, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Tel +226 70 01 30 58, Email [email protected]: Human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) is the main etiological agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma. This virus is frequently associated with immunocompromision. This study aimed to detect HHV-8 in people with compromised immune system.Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included 180 subjects: 179 HIV-infected patients and 1 patient with bullous pemphigoid. Blood samples were taken from all subjects, and swabs of lesions were then taken from individuals with symptoms of Kaposi’s sarcoma. Viral load and CD4+ T lymphocytes count were performed for persons living with HIV and real-time PCR detection of HHV-8 DNA was performed in all subjects in the study.Results: Among HIV-infected persons, 13.41% had a viral load of more than 10,000 copies/mL, and 22.91% had a CD4+ T lymphocytes count of fewer than 350 cells/μL. A total of four (three HIV-1 infected patients and one patient with bullous pemphigoid) patients (2.22%) had apparent lesions of Kaposi’s sarcoma. In the plasmas and swabs from associated lesions, HHV-8 DNA was found in only two individuals, with an HHV-8 prevalence of 1.11% (2/180) with 0.55% (1/179) in an HIV-infected patient on antiretroviral therapy.Conclusion: These results exposing low prevalence levels of HHV-8 in HIV-infected patients could be due to the beneficial effect of antiretroviral drugs.Keywords: HIV, HHV-8, immunocompromised, Kaposi’s sarcoma, Burkina Faso