Human herpesvirus 8 DNA in the skin and blood of patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma: clinical correlations.
BACKGROUND
Kaposi's sarcoma is a multifocal lympho-angioproliferative disease that appears in elderly subjects of Mediterranean origin (classical form), young Africans and immunodepressed patients (as a result of organ transplantation or AIDS). In 1994, DNA sequences of a new human herpesvirus, called HHV-8, were detected in skin lesions and peripheral blood of patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma by confirmational display analysis and polymerase chain reaction.


OBJECTIVE
As HHV-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is detected in about 50% of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma patients and its presence fluctuates in time in the same patient, maybe its detection correlates with the clinical behaviour of the disease.


METHODS
By using routine and nested polymerase chain reaction we evaluated the presence of HHV-8-specific DNA sequences in the skin lesions, perilesional healthy skin and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a group of 40 HIV-negative patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma.


RESULTS
HHV-8 DNA sequences have been found in 40/40 (100%) lesional skin of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma, in 35/40 (85%) perilesional apparently normal skin and in 24/40 (60%) peripheral blood monuclear cell samples. The results of polymerase chain reaction on peripheral blood monuclear cells were positive in 41% of the patients with slowly evolving disease as opposed to 74% of those with rapidly evolving disease, and in 47.6% of the patients with stage I-II disease as opposed to 73.6% of those with stage III-IV.


CONCLUSIONS
The detection of HHV-8 in peripheral blood monuclear cells seems to correlate with the more aggressive stages and the rapid evolution behaviour of Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma.
Boneschi
V
V
Institute of Dermatology, State University, IRCCS, Ospedale Maggiore, Milan, Italy. vboneschi@hotmail.com
Brambilla
L
L
Berti
E
E
Ferrucci
S
S
Corbellino
M
M
Parravicini
C
C
Fossati
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000821:virology*; D012867:Skin / Q000821:virology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral