title: [Human herpesvirus 8].
abstract: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8, KSHV) was discovered in 1994 by means of a molecular biology approach which permitted to characterize fragments of its genomic sequence. The partial analysis of nucleotide sequence showed that HHV-8 was closely related to herpesvirus saimiri and Epstein-Barr virus, two members of Gammaherpesvirinae sub-family. So far, the virus has been neither isolated nor observed using electron microscopy. It is only detected by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and molecular hybridization. HHV-8 detection in human tissues is strongly associated with three diseases: Kaposi's sarcoma, body-cavity-based lymphomas and Castleman's disease. This association raises the question of the causative role of HHV-8 in the occurrence of these three disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie du CERVI, CNRS EP 57, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agut
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dupin
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Aubin
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Huraux
mesh_terms: D005871:Castleman Disease / Q000821:virology; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000821:virology; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000821:virology*