High KSHV prevalence among HIV‐infected males in North India

Abstract

BackgroundKaposi sarcoma is the most common cancer associated with AIDS worldwide. HIV is endemic in India but there are no studies on this co‐infection from India. Our present study examined the seroprevalence of HHV8 infections in adult Indian males infected with HIV.MethodsThe study was carried out at AIIMS, a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, India. We enrolled 93 HIV‐positive males naïve of ART. We employed whole virus enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA; Advanced Biotechnologies Inc, Columbia, MD, USA]. A univariate analysis including age, marital status, mode of HIV transmission and CD4 count were 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.ResultsThe seroprevalence of KSHV infection was 33.3% in HIV‐1 infected males. HHV8 seropositivity in HIV‐infected males. Age was independently associated with the age group>25 years [OR=9.5; 95% CI=1.98–45.75.ConclusionTaken together, our findings showed high rates of KSHV antibody prevalence in the male cohort of suggesting that KSHV infection may be markedly associated with HIV‐1 infection in India especially in the heterosexual group. However, a further KSHV seroepidemiological survey; including a representative number of Indian cohorts of HIV‐1‐infected outpatients, is needed to further confirm our present findings.