SEROLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR EVALUATION OF HUMAN HERPESVIRUS 8 IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM TÜRKİYE

Objective: This study assessed the seroprevalence and molecular detection of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) in kidney transplant recipients compared with healthy blood donors.Materials and Methods: This study included 112 kidney transplant recipients attending the Nephrology Clinic at Ankara Etlik City Hospital and 200 healthy blood donors. Serum samples were tested for HHV-8 IgG using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and plasma samples were analyzed for HHV-8 DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Results: HHV-8 IgG positivity was observed in 9.8% (11/112) of kidney transplant recipients and 6.5% (13/200) of blood donors (p=0.294). The highest HHV-8 IgG seropositivity among kidney transplant recipients was observed in the 18-30 years age group (26.7%), whereas the corresponding rate in healthy blood donors was 8.5%. No statistically significant sex-related differences in HHV-8 seropositivity were identified in either group. A generalized linear model including study group, age category, and their interaction showed no significant overall interaction between study group and age category with respect to HHV-8 IgG seropositivity (p=0.095). HHV-8 DNA was not detected in any of the samples analyzed by real-time PCR.Conclusion: HHV-8 seroprevalence was comparable between kidney transplant recipients and blood donors, with no evidence of active HHV-8 viremia in either group. Although numerical differences were observed in age-stratified analyses, no significant interaction between study group and age category was identified. These findings should be interpreted cautiously and considered exploratory. Larger prospective multicenter studies are warranted to clarify the epidemiology and clinical significance of HHV-8 infection in kidney transplant recipients.