The Emergence of HHV-8 Infection among HIV-positive Individuals Residing in Bali, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is considered as the etiological agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). In people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLHIV), KS defines acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The previous study found that HIV-positive individuals were more likely to be HHV-8 seropositive than HIV-negative individuals. Reports regarding the presence of HHV-8 and HIV coinfection in Indonesia are severely limited. AIM: This study aimed to identify HHV-8 infection among HIV-positive individuals in Bali, Indonesia. METHODS: Forty-three plasma samples were collected from 16 antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive and 27 ART-experienced individuals residing in Buleleng Regency, Bali, Indonesia. Detection of HHV-8 antigen was performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The Fisher’s exact test and the Spearman correlation test would be used to analyzed data accordingly. RESULTS: Seven samples (7/43, 16.3%), one of ART-naive individual (1/16, 6.25%) and six of ART-experienced individuals (6/27, 22.2%), were tested positive for HHV-8 antigen. HHV-8 infection was correlated neither to sex (p = 1.000) and age (p = 0.716), nor to ART status (p = 0.178) and length of ART (p = 0.465). CONCLUSION: This study indicates the emergence of HHV-8 infection among HIV-positive individuals residing in Bali, Indonesia. Sufficient diagnosis of HHV-8 should be considered for all HIV-positive individuals to deliver appropriate treatment. Extensive researches are suggested to be conducted in more regions of Indonesia to determine the magnitude of HHV-8 infection among HIV-positive individuals.