TY - JOUR
T1 - Human herpesvirus 8 DNA in the skin and blood of patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma
T2 - Clinical correlations
AU - Boneschi, Vinicio
AU - Brambilla, Lucia
AU - Berti, Emilio
AU - Ferrucci, Silvia
AU - Corbellino, Mario
AU - Parravicini, Carlo
AU - Fossati, Silvia
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Background: Kaposi's sarcoma is a multifocal lympho-angioproliferative disease that appears in elderly subjects of Mediterranean origin (classical form), young Africans and immunodepressed patients (as a result of organ transplantation or AIDS). In 1994, DNA sequences of a new human herpesvirus, called HHV-8, were detected in skin lesions and peripheral blood of patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma by confirmational display analysis and polymerase chain reaction. Objective: As HHV-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is detected in about 50% of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma patients and its presence fluctuates in time in the same patient, maybe its detection correlates with the clinical behaviour of the disease. Methods: By using routine and nested polymerase chain reaction we evaluated the presence of HHV-8-specific DNA sequences in the skin lesions, perilesional healthy skin and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a group of 40 HIV-negative patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma. Results: HHV-8 DNA sequences have been found in 40/40 (100%) lesional skin of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma, in 35/40 (85%) perilesional apparently normal skin and in 24/40 (60%) peripheral blood monuclear cell samples. The results of polymerase chain reaction on peripheral blood monuclear cells were positive in 41% of the patients with slowly evolving disease as opposed to 74% of those with rapidly evolving disease, and in 47.6% of the patients with stage I-II disease as opposed to 73.6% of those with stage III-IV. Conclusion: The detection of HHV-8 in peripheral blood monuclear cells seems to correlate with the more aggressive stages and the rapid evolution behaviour of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma.
AB - Background: Kaposi's sarcoma is a multifocal lympho-angioproliferative disease that appears in elderly subjects of Mediterranean origin (classical form), young Africans and immunodepressed patients (as a result of organ transplantation or AIDS). In 1994, DNA sequences of a new human herpesvirus, called HHV-8, were detected in skin lesions and peripheral blood of patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma by confirmational display analysis and polymerase chain reaction. Objective: As HHV-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is detected in about 50% of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma patients and its presence fluctuates in time in the same patient, maybe its detection correlates with the clinical behaviour of the disease. Methods: By using routine and nested polymerase chain reaction we evaluated the presence of HHV-8-specific DNA sequences in the skin lesions, perilesional healthy skin and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a group of 40 HIV-negative patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma. Results: HHV-8 DNA sequences have been found in 40/40 (100%) lesional skin of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma, in 35/40 (85%) perilesional apparently normal skin and in 24/40 (60%) peripheral blood monuclear cell samples. The results of polymerase chain reaction on peripheral blood monuclear cells were positive in 41% of the patients with slowly evolving disease as opposed to 74% of those with rapidly evolving disease, and in 47.6% of the patients with stage I-II disease as opposed to 73.6% of those with stage III-IV. Conclusion: The detection of HHV-8 in peripheral blood monuclear cells seems to correlate with the more aggressive stages and the rapid evolution behaviour of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma.
KW - Clinical behaviour
KW - Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8)
KW - Kaposi's sarcoma
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U2 - 10.1159/000051697
DO - 10.1159/000051697
M3 - Article
C2 - 11549794
AN - SCOPUS:0034830580
VL - 203
SP - 19
EP - 23
JO - Dermatology
JF - Dermatology
SN - 1018-8665
IS - 1
ER -