Absence of human herpesvirus 8 DNA sequences in lung biopsies from Israeli patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
BACKGROUND
Pulmonary hypertension is a severe pulmonary vascular disease leading to rapid deterioration and death. Histological and clinical evidence suggests that smooth muscle proliferation is part of the pathogenesis of the disease. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a gamma-herpesvirus that is implicated in malignancies and in Kaposi's sarcoma. Recently, the association of HHV-8 with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been found.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of HHV-8 in the lung tissue of Israeli patients with PAH.


METHODS
The presence of HHV-8 sequences was investigated by polymerase chain reaction examination in 6 biopsies of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Three patients had idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, 2 patients pulmonary venoocclusive disease, and 1 patient pulmonary hypertension associated with mixed connective tissue disease.


RESULTS
We did not find any association between HHV-8 and PAH in these Israeli patients, as all the samples were negative for polymerase chain reaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings, together with the epidemiological data of HHV-8 prevalence and incidence rates of Kaposi's sarcoma and PAH in Israel, provide further evidence which argues against an association between HHV-8 infection and PAH.
Bendayan
D
D
Pulmonary Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikvah, Israel.
Sarid
R
R
Cohen
A
A
Shitrit
D
D
Shechtman
I
I
Kramer
M R
MR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000821:virology*; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; C111600:K1 protein, Human herpesvirus 8; D014764:Viral Proteins