Seroprevalence of Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpes Virus in the United States
Seroprevalence of Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpes Virus in the United States
This study will investigate patterns of Kaposi's sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV) in the United
 States and its potential impact on the U.S. population. KSHV is a newly discovered virus that
 is strongly associated with Kaposi's sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma. The high
 prevalence of KS and KSHV among HIV-infected homosexual men suggests sexual contact as a
 primary mode of transmission. Reports of non-sexual transmission in parts of Africa and the
 Mediterranean where Kaposi's sarcoma is endemic, and the identification of viral DNA in
 saliva and other bodily fluids, however, indicate the virus is also transmitted non-sexually.
 This study will:

 -  Compare the prevalence of KSHV among different demographic groups in the United States

 -  Examine the association between KSHV and high risk behaviors such as drug use (marijuana
 and cocaine), sexual behavior (age at first sexual intercourse and number of sexual
 partners), and medical risk factors (herpes simplex virus II, hepatitis B and hepatitis
 C)

 -  Estimate the prevalence of KSHV in the United States.

 Data and blood samples for the study will be taken from the NHANES III survey. NHANES is a
 program of periodic surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
 National Center for Health Statistics. The survey is designed to provide national estimates
 of health status for the United States non-institutionalized civilian population by means of
 household interviews, standardized physical examinations, and blood sample collection and
 testing. NHANES III-the seventh in a series of national examination studies-was conducted
 from 1988 to 1994.

 This study will use the HANES data to identify risks associated with a KSHV-positive blood
 test in the survey population. The study plans to include all 19,754 participants (67% of the
 29,314 participants originally examined) for whom blood samples were collected and remain
 available.
Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is the viral cause of Kaposi sarcoma. Although infection
 with this virus appears to be uncommon in the United States, the prevalence in the general
 population in uncertain, and routes for transmission are poorly characterized. This study
 makes use of questionnaire data and serum specimens obtained in the third National Health and
 Nutrition Survey (NHAnes III). Sera from 18,168 individuals in this study were tested for
 antibodies to the KSHV proteins K8.1 and LANA. We will use these measurements to estimate
 KSHV seroprevalence for the overall U.S. general population and for demographic subgroups. To
 characterize potential transmission routes, we will also examine whether KSHV seroprevalence
 is related to sexual activity and exposures to blood, as indicated by responses to
 questionnaire items and previous NHANES III measurements of markers of relevant viral
 infections.
-  No specific eligibility criteria was provided for this protocol.