The pleiotropic effects of Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus.
Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV), or human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8), is an essential factor in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD), and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). Case reports suggest an occasional involvement in bone marrow hypoplasia and haemophagocytic syndrome, but other disease associations are unconfirmed or controversial. KSHV-associated disease is of particular importance in immunosuppressed individuals, in particular in patients with HIV infection and transplant recipients. KSHV establishes a latent infection in the majority of infected cells in KS, MCD, and PEL, but lytic replication occurs in a small fraction of infected cells. Viral proteins expressed during both the latent and the lytic phase of the viral life cycle contribute to the pathogenesis of KSHV-associated diseases.
Schulz
Thomas F
TF
Department of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Germany. schulz.thomas@mh-hannover.de
D005871:Castleman Disease / Q000821:virology; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
D014764:Viral Proteins