Prevalence of Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Blood Donors

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) positivity rates vary across regions. The rates are higher in immunosuppressed patients. There is a potential association between HHV-8 and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of HHV-8 infection in type 2 diabetes patients and healthy blood donors, and to investigate whether the presence of the infection could be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. In this cross-sectional study, 90 type 2 diabetes patients and 180 healthy blood donors were included between July and October 2024 at Ankara Etlik City Hospital. HHV-8 IgG seroprevalence was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and HHV-8 DNA was detected via real-time polymerase chain reaction. HHV-8 seropositivity was detected in 7.8% of type 2 diabetes patients and 6.1% of blood donors, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.605). The odds ratio of HHV-8 infection in the type 2 diabetes group compared to the blood donor group was 1.29 (95% CI: 0.48-3.46, p = 0.605), indicating no significant association between HHV-8 and diabetes. No HHV-8 DNA was detected in any participant. Seropositivity was most prevalent in the 51-65 age group among diabetic patients and in the 31-40 age group among blood donors. There was no significant correlation between HHV-8 seropositivity and diabetes duration, sex, or age. HHV-8 seroprevalence was similar in type 2 diabetes patients and blood donors, suggesting no significant association between HHV-8 infection and diabetes. However, due to regional differences, methodological variations, and limited sample size, further large-scale, multicenter studies with long-term follow-up are necessary to clarify the potential role of HHV-8 in type 2 diabetes pathogenesis.