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

Abstract

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.