title: Detection of human herpesvirus 8 and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 sequences in Kaposi sarcoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ultrastructural studies have shown retroviral particles in Kaposi sarcoma (KS) unrelated to infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Recently, DNA sequences from a new herpesvirus, human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), were detected in KS tissues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To screen for the presence of HHV-8 sequences in patients with KS not related to HIV infection and correlate HHV-8 sequence detection and clinical staging and to screen for the presence of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) sequences in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of such patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tumor and normal skin samples and PBMCs were investigated by polymerase chain reaction using primers for HHV-8 and HTLV-1 pX gag, pol, and env sequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ambulatory or hospitalized patients from a university hospital associated with a research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with KS not related to HIV infection (21 classic cases, 3 endemic cases, 1 case associated with Castleman disease, 4 homosexual men, 1 post-transplantation patient, and 1 patient taking corticosteroids). Stages involved included I (13 patients), II (8 patients), III (7 patients), and IV (3 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Human herpesvirus 8 sequences were found in 100% of KS specimens, 70% of distant normal skin specimens, and 42% of PBMC samples. The percentage of HHV-8 detection in PBMCs was higher in patients with KS stage III or IV than in patients with stage I or II. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I pX sequences were detected in 2 of 19 patients while gag, pol, and env test results were negative using polymerase chain reaction analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest no significant association between HTLV-1 infection and KS. Detection of HHV-8 infected cells in normal skin samples from the majority of KS tissues, regardless of clinical staging, can be paralleled to the multifocal pattern of the disease. Human herpesvirus 8 detection in PBMCs could be related to the tumor burden.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lebbé
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agbalika
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Crémoux
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deplanche
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rybojad
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masgrau
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calvo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000821:virology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral