Clinical and Demographic Factors Associated With Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Shedding in Saliva or Cervical Secretions in a Cohort of Tanzanian Women

AM Mertelsmann, C Mukerebe, D Miyaye, P Shigella, L Mhango, P Lutonja, PLAM Corstjens, C de Dood, GJ van Dam, S Colombe, JK Maganga, C Aristide, SE Kalluvya, MM Ward, AA Cordeiro, MH Lee, JM Changalucha, JA Downs

Research output: Contribution to journalA1: Web of Science-articlepeer-review

Abstract

Background
Reasons for the high prevalence of Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in sub-Saharan Africa, and risk factors leading to viral reactivation and shedding, remain largely undefined. Preliminary studies have suggested that schistosome infection, which has been associated with impaired viral control, is associated with KSHV. In this study we sought to determine the relationship between active Schistosoma mansoni or Schistosoma haematobium infection and KSHV shedding.

Methods
We quantified KSHV DNA in saliva and cervical swabs from 2 cohorts of women living in northwestern Tanzanian communities endemic for S mansoni or S haematobium by real-time polymerase chain reaction. χ2 and Fisher exact tests were used to determine differences in clinical and demographic factors between those who were and were not shedding KSHV.

Results
Among 139 total women, 44.6% were KSHV seropositive. Six percent of those with S mansoni and 17.1% of those with S haematobium were actively shedding KSHV in saliva and none in cervical samples. Women from the S mansoni cohort who were shedding virus reported infertility more frequently (80% vs 19.5%, P = .009). There was no difference in frequency of KSHV salivary shedding between schistosome-infected and -uninfected women.

Conclusions
In an area with high KSHV seroprevalence and endemic schistosome infections, we provide the first report with data demonstrating no association between schistosome infection and salivary or cervical herpesvirus shedding. KSHV salivary shedding was associated with infertility, a known effect of another herpesvirus, human herpesvirus 6.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberofae161
JournalOpen Forum Infectious Diseases
Volume11
Issue number4
Number of pages9
ISSN2328-8957
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus
  • S haematobium
  • S mansoni
  • Schistosomiasis
  • Viral reactivation

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