Lymphomatoid papulosis and human herpesviruses--A PCR-based evaluation for the presence of human herpesvirus 6, 7 and 8 related herpesviruses.
BACKGROUND
Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is a chronic, recurrent lymphoproliferative disorder of the skin that belongs to the group of primary cutaneous CD30-positive T-cell lymphomas. Ultrastructural and clinical features of LyP suggest that it has a viral etiology. Human herpesviruses have been proposed as causative cofactors for LyP because of their oncogenic potential and their association with other lymphomas.


METHODS
LyP skin lesions and a LyP-derived cell line were examined for the presence of the recently discovered oncogenic human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) and the two T-lymphotropic human herpesviruses 6 and 7 (HHV-6 and HHV-7) by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using virus-specific oligonucleotide primers. Furthermore, a recently described method involving degenerate PCR primers was applied to detect highly conserved DNA sequences shared by a variety of herpesviruses, especially oncogenic gamma-herpesviruses, in an attempt to identify a yet undiscovered herpesvirus associated with LyP.


RESULTS
HHV-6 and 8 could not be found in 26 archival and 11 snap-frozen LyP lesions and a LyP tumor cell line. HHV-7 DNA sequences were detected in 14% (5 of 37) of LyP samples. HHV-6 was found in 23% (3 of 13) and HHV-7 in 8% (1 of 13) of normal skin samples from healthy individuals, respectively. Using degenerate PCR primers to amplify the highly conserved polymerase region of herpesviruses, no DNA sequences related to human herpesviruses could be detected.


CONCLUSIONS
LyP is not associated with HHV-6, HHV-7 and HHV-8. In addition, the studies using degenerate PCR primers do not indicate the presence of a previously undescribed human herpesvirus in LyP.
Kempf
W
W
Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. wkempf@hotmail.com
Kadin
M E
ME
Kutzner
H
H
Lord
C L
CL
Burg
G
G
Letvin
N L
NL
Koralnik
I J
IJ
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D017731:Lymphomatoid Papulosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral