AEGiS-11IAC: Detection of Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus in skin lesions and peripheral blood of HIV-infected individuals.

11th International AIDS Conference


Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Print this Article


Detection of Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus in skin lesions and peripheral blood of HIV-infected individuals.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:7 (abstract no. We.A.165)
Briz M, Martin T, Yebra M, Laguna P, Busto MJ, Pastor C, Fernandez MN; Medicina Interna Iii Hospital Puerta De Hierro, Madrid, Spain.

Background: Herpesvirus-like DNA sequences have recently been found in lesions from patients with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in its several forms (classical, AIDS-associated and that affecting HIV-negative homosexual men), suggesting that this tumor may be caused by a new herpesvirus, referred to as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). It has been analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers that amplify a 233 base-pair fragment designated KS 330.

METHODS: We analyzed DNA from skin lesions and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 7 homosexual HIV-infected patients, diagnosed with KS, as well as from skin biopsies of 15 controls and PBMC of 30 controls; these controls included healthy blood donors, heart transplanted patients and bone marrow transplanted patients, none of which had been diagnosed of KS. Samples were analyzed by PCR with specific primers to amplify the KS 330 sequence; specificity of the 233 base-pair fragment was determined by Southern blot hybridisation with an internal oligonucleotide probe.

RESULTS: The KS 330 fragment was found in 6/6 skin KS lesions and in 4/7 PBMC samples. It was not detected in any skin or peripheral blood samples from controls.

CONCLUSIONS: The KSHV sequence was present in affected skin of all our patients, reinforcing the causal role for KSHV in the development of KS; it was also detected in peripheral blood cells of a high proportion of patients; in contrast, it was not found in non-KS patients.

Keywords: AEGIS, Sarcoma, Kaposi, Herpesviridae, Herpesvirus 8, Human, HIV, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Herpesviridae Infections, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Simplexvirus, Skin Neoplasms, HIV Infections, HIV-1, HIV Seronegativity, Skin, Human, Male, immunology, ICA11

960707
WeA165

Copyright © 1996 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.