Serological study of the frequency of human herpesvirus-8 in patients with liver cirrhosis

Abstract

Introduction: Various factors, including viruses, are involved in developing liver cirrhosis. Although the association of human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) with liver cirrhosis remains poorly understood, a significant increase in the titer of antibodies against this virus has been observed in cirrhotic patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the frequency of HHV-8-immunoglobulin G (HHV-8 IgG) in Iranian patients with liver cirrhosis. Material & Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 30 healthy blood donors and 30 patients with liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis B (n=20) and hepatitis C (n=10) viruses from those waiting for liver transplantation were included. The serum seropositivity of HHV-8 IgG antibody was evaluated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Results: The seropositivity of HHV-8 IgG antibodies in patients and healthy groups was 6.7% (2 patients) and 3.3% (1 case), respectively, which did not show a significant difference between the two groups (P=0.554). In addition, the infection was not significantly related to the age and gender of the patients (P>0.05). Discussion & Conclusion: Considering the low prevalence of HHV-8 infection in Iranian patients with liver cirrhosis, it can be concluded that HHV-8 may not be associated with the incidence and progression of liver cirrhosis. Therefore, HHV-8 monitoring will not raise the concern about the development or worsening of liver disorders.

Keywords

• cmv infection
• kidney transplantation
• rejection