title: [Historical Review of Kaposi sarcoma in pre-HAART era: evolution with different chemotherapy schedules and remission with ganciclovir use].
abstract: Ganciclovir has shown in vitro anti-human herpesvirus-8 activity, Kaposi sarcoma agent. We analyzed all Kaposi sarcoma patients from 1985 to 1996 pre-HAART era and identified Kaposi sarcoma/AIDS patients who achieved complete remission prior to HAART use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We saw 155 Kaposi sarcoma patients up to 1996, 150 with enough information, only 12 received ganciclovir, eight of them for ≥ 21 days; four died within 16 weeks of ganciclovir administration. We identified four male patients with extensive Kaposi sarcoma with complete remission achieved after ganciclovir for CMV end-organ disease. Complete remission was achieved (9, 5, 10 and 5 months) after ganciclovir, which persisted even after antiretroviral therapy failure. All received two nucleosides and indinavir was later added with irregular compliance. The CD4 counts when ganciclovir was started: 11 (4%), 60 (5%), 127 (14%), and 38 (3%) and when they achieved complete remission: 37 (4%), 109 (9%), 313 (13%) and 136 (9%), respectively. Two patients died with no Kaposi sarcoma relapse three years later, with wasting syndrome and other pulmonary-embolism seven years later. One was lost to follow-up in complete remission in the year 2000, the other was alive in 2014 with 27% 820 CD4 cells/ml. The use of ganciclovir was statistically significantly associated with Kaposi sarcoma remission p = 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ganciclovir use was associated to complete remission of Kaposi sarcoma in the pre-HAART era.
authors: Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de México, México.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Volkow
authors: Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de México, México.
authors: Benedicte
authors: B
authors: Jacquemin
authors: Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de México, México.
authors: Juan W
authors: JW
authors: Zinser
authors: Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Ciudad de México, México.
authors: Rogelio
authors: R
authors: Pérez-Padilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015658:HIV Infections; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015774:Ganciclovir