title: Treatment of classical Kaposi's sarcoma with intralesional injections of cidofovir: report of a case.
abstract: The effect of intralesional injections of cidofovir, a nucleotide analog with potent in vitro activity against human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), was studied in vivo in an HIV-negative patient with classical Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). After five weekly injections of the drug, no clinical, histological, immunohistological, or virological changes could be detected in comparison with saline-injected lesions. These findings suggest that, once the KS tumor has developed, active viral replication is no longer involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Alternative hypotheses are that HHV-8 replication in blood-borne cells may foster growth of spindle cells in the skin, or that blocking HHV-8 may not affect existing lesions but may prevent new lesions from developing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Erasme University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Simonart
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Noel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Dobbeleer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parent
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Van Vooren
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Clercq
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Snoeck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077404:Cidofovir; D003596:Cytosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D063065:Organophosphonates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D063065:Organophosphonates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D003596:Cytosine; D000077404:Cidofovir