title: Endothelial transdifferentiated phenotype and cell-cycle kinetics of AIDS-associated Kaposi sarcoma cells.
abstract: The nature of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) (vascular malignancy vs. discordant angiogenesis) and lineage of the progenitor cell remain unclear. Therefore, AIDS-KS enzyme isolate cultures were prepared from excised skin lesions. Endothelial marker positivity for Factor VIII related antigen (F8RAg), Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) were determined by fluorescence microscopy (FM) and flow cytometry (FCM). DNA cell-cycle analysis was performed using FCM. KS lesions showed large thick-walled channels (F8RAg and UEA strongly +), narrow vascular slits and thin-walled lakes (F8RAg and UEA weakly +), and non-prominent spindle cells (F8RAg and UEA almost uniformly negative). KS cultures yielded heterogenous populations of spindle, stellate, and flattened endothelial-like cells, displaying positivity for F8RAg (64 +/- 3%; mean +/- SE), UEA (40 +/- 9%), and ACE (81 +/- 9%). When injected subcutaneously in the nude mouse these cells failed to produce tumors. During contact inhibition induced quiescence, KS cultures exhibited a high G2M (18 +/- 3%) compared to non-KS (7 +/- 4%; p < 0.04), evidence of an altered proliferative potential consistent with a transdifferentiated or transformed phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Way
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiala
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Nagle
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bernas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dictor
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borgs
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Witte
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured