Human herpesvirus-8 infection in hemodialysis patients from eastern Taiwan--Hualien

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) is the causative agent in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Uremic or hemodialysis patients are known to be highly susceptible to viral infection, and may be at increased risk of developing KS from the increased risk of exposure to HHV-8 infection. We collected 77 serum samples from hemodialysis patients and 207 serum samples from blood donors. Serum samples were tested for HHV-8-specific immunoglobulin G by immunofluorescence assay. Fifteen of 77 hemodialysis patients (19.5%) had HHV-8 antibodies. The ages of these 15 patients ranged from 43 to 89 years (mean, 62 yr). Six of 207 (3.0%) blood donors had HHV-8 antibodies. Thus, the prevalence of HHV-8 antibodies in hemodialysis patients in Hualien is higher than that in normal blood donors. The transmission route should be surveyed in detail.