title: Regression of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma following antiretroviral therapy with protease inhibitors: biological correlates of clinical outcome.
abstract: The clinical response of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a combination of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease and reverse transcriptase inhibitors, was studied in 11 patients, all but one with progressive KS. CD4+ cell counts, plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, and antibody titres to lytic ORF65 and latency-associated human herpes virus type 8 (HHV-8) proteins were determined in sequential samples. Six complete and three partial clinical responses were achieved in a median time of 6 and 3 months, respectively, and confirmed after a median time of 16 months on HAART. 2 patients showed disease progression. A consistent decrease in HIV-1 RNA levels, paralleled by an increase in CD4+ cell counts, was observed in all patients who showed complete or partial clinical response; HIV-1 RNA levels remained persistently high in the two patients who progressed, despite a change in HAART. HHV-8 antibody titres were generally higher in patients with mucosal/visceral involvement compared with patients with limited disease; a decrease in ORF65 antibody titre was significantly associated with a clinical response. These results indicate that HAART is effective for AIDS-related KS; the clinical response correlates with a decrease in plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, an increase in CD4+ lymphocytes, and a decrease in antibodies to ORF65 HHV-8 protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, General Hospital of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cattelan
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Calabro
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Aversa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanchetta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meneghetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Rossi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chieco-Bianchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004338:Drug Combinations; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004338:Drug Combinations; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors