title: AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma: principal pathogenic mechanisms.
abstract: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common malignancy that affects patients with HIV infection. Considerable progress has recently been achieved in understanding the pathogenesis of this vascular malignancy. A novel herpesvirus has been detected in KS lesions of all types, in skin-lesions of post-transplant immunosuppressed individuals and in various lymphoproliferative disorders. Apart from this, the increased severity of this neoplasm in patients infected with HIV may be due to HIV-derived tat protein synergising with cytokines and chemokines with angiogenetic activity. Finally, the lower incidence of the malignancy in females may be related to a protective effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), presumably mediated by its effect on microvasculature. All these advances suggest new possibilities in the management of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Chirurgia Oncologica, Ospedale Vittorio Emanuele II, Bisceglie, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silvestris
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D001727:Bisexuality; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D018925:Chemokines / Q000502:physiology; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000502:physiology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D016207:Cytokines; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus