Human herpesvirus 8 DNA in serum during seroconversion in allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients

To determine the prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection, the rate of HHV-8 seroconversion, and the presence of serum HHV-8 DNA after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we evaluated sera from 187 Italian BMT donor-recipient pairs. Antibodies to lytic and latent HHV-8 antigens were detected by immunofluorescence. Sera of donor-recipient pairs who seroconverted were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Before BMT, 24 (13%) of 187 donors and 20 (11%) of 187 recipients were seropositive; after BMT, 28 (15%) of 187 recipients were seropositive. Seroconversion occurred in 19 (11%) of 167 recipients seronegative at baseline: 14 (9%) from 149 seronegative donors and five (28%) from 18 seropositive donors (relative risk of seroconversion with BMT from a seropositive donor = 2.96, 95% confidence interval = 1.21 to 7.25; P = .02, two-sided Fisher's exact test). One donor and two recipients who seroconverted after BMT were positive for HHV-8 by RT-PCR. No HHV-8-related complications were observed after a median follow-up of 6 years. BMT-associated HHV-8 seroconversion is relatively common in seronegative recipients from seropositive donor, but factors other than BMT may also contribute to seroconversion.