IDENTIFICATION OF HHV-8 DNA IN THE SKIN-LESIONS OF KAPOSIS-SARCOMA INAN IMMUNOSUPPRESSED PATIENT WITH BULLOUS PEMPHIGOID

Kaposi's sarcoma rarely occurs as an opportunistic tumor in iatrogenic ally immunosuppressed patients. We describe the clinical presentation, treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma skin lesions in an immunosuppressed pat ient with bullous pemphigoid. Using the polymerase chain reaction, HHV -8 DNA was detected in two separate Kaposi's sarcoma lesions but not i n control tissues. The amplified DNA fragments derived from our patien t's Kaposi's sarcoma skin lesions contained unique point mutations tha t distinguished the virus isolated from Kaposi's sarcoma lesions deriv ed from other patients. This is the first demonstration that HHV-8 DNA is associated with Kaposi's sarcoma skin lesions in an HIV-negative, immunosuppressed patient with bullous pemphigoid. HHV-8 is probably a common latent herpesvirus that is activated by immunosuppressive thera py in genetically predisposed patients and may be involved in the path ogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma.