Injection of human herpesvirus-8 in human skin engrafted on SCID mice induces Kaposi's sarcoma-like lesions.
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) or human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) has been implicated in the development of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and several B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases. Serologic and molecular genetic association data has implicated HHV-8 as the causal agent of KS, but its role in the development of KS lesions is not understood. To examine the etiology of KS, HHV-8 was injected into normal human skin transplanted onto SCID mice. Injection of HHV-8 induced lesion formation that is morphologically and phenotypically consistent with KS, including the presence of angiogenesis and spindle-shaped cells latently infected with HHV-8. These findings suggest that HHV-8 is indeed the etiologic agent of KS, and that the virus plays an important role in initiation of this disease.
Foreman
K E
KE
Department of Pathology and Skin Cancer Research Laboratories, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Medical Center, Room 301, 2160 South First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153-5385, USA.
Friborg
J
J
Chandran
B
B
Katano
H
H
Sata
T
T
Mercader
M
M
Nabel
G J
GJ
Nickoloff
B J
BJ
D000818:Animals; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007267:Injections; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D010641:Phenotype; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured