Evaluation of the human herpesvirus 8 DNA load in blood and Kaposi's sarcoma skin lesions from AIDS patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) DNA load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) skin lesions of subjects with AIDS and to correlate these measures with the tumour load.

DESIGN:

Assessment of the HHV-8 DNA load was performed every 3 months in PBMC and every 6 months in KS skin lesions from seven subjects with AIDS who were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

METHODS:

The HHV-8 DNA load was determined by a quantitative-competitive PCR using 0.2 microg of DNA from PBMC or KS skin biopsies. Staging of KS was performed by evaluating the number and type of cutaneous KS lesions.

RESULTS:

The three subjects with the most extensive and active (nodular) KS had the highest amounts of HHV-8 DNA in KS skin lesions and the lowest CD4 T cell counts (< 200 x 10(6)/l). In contrast, the four other subjects with regressing KS while on HAART had a low viral load in their KS lesions. All but one subject who also had multicentric Castleman's disease had low amounts of HHV-8 DNA in PBMC.

CONCLUSION:

There is a strong relationship between the tumour burden and the HHV-8 viral load in KS skin lesions of subjects with AIDS, reinforcing the causal link between this herpesvirus and AIDS-related KS.

• Authors: G Boivin, A Gaudreau, J P Routy
• Journal: AIDS (London, England) (AIDS) Vol. 14 Issue 13 Pg. 1907-10 (Sep 08 2000) ISSN: 0269-9370 [Print] England
• PMID: 10997393 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA, Viral

Topics

• AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections (drug therapy, virology)
• Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
• DNA, Viral (blood)
• HIV Infections (complications, drug therapy)
• Herpesvirus 8, Human (genetics, physiology)
• Humans
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Sarcoma, Kaposi (drug therapy, virology)
• Skin (pathology, virology)
• Skin Neoplasms (virology)
• Viral Load
• Viremia