HUMAN HERPESVIRUS-8 DNA-SEQUENCES IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-NEGATIVE ANGIOIMMUNOBLASTIC LYMPHADENOPATHY AND BENIGN LYMPHADENOPATHY WITH GIANT GERMINAL CENTER HYPERPLASIA AND INCREASED VASCULARITY

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) DNA sequences have been reported to be str ictly associated not only with various forms of Kaposi's sarcoma but a lso with an unusual subgroup of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AI DS)-related B-cell lymphomas. A possible relation of this putative vir us also with multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) has been recently suggested. We used polymerase chain reaction to look for the presence of HHV-8 sequences in a well characterized series of benign, atypical, and malignant lymphoid tissues from 45 Hodgkin's disease and 43 non-H odgkin's lymphoma (NHL) cases, as well as from 5 MCD, 15 angioimmunobl astic lymphadenopathy (AILD), and 23 benign lymphadenopathy cases. Amo ng the 38 AIDS-related lymphoid lesions, only 1 NHL and 1 persistent g eneralized lymphadenopathy (PGL) case were positive. Furthermore, amon g the 92 non-AIDS-related lymphoproliferative disorders, HHV-8 sequenc es were detected in 3 classic AILD cases and in 4 reactive lymphadenop athies. Six of 9 HHV-8 positive lymphoid lesions (1 NHL, 1 PGL, 1 AILD , and 3 reactive lymphadenopathy cases) were also positive for Epstein -Barr viral sequences. The four human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) neg ative lymphadenopathies positive for HHV-8 sequences showed an almost identical histology, characterized by a predominantly follicular lesio n, with giant germinal center hyperplasia, and increased vascularity, resembling HIV-related lymphadenopathy and MCD. Our results, while pro viding the first evidence of the presence of HHV-8 sequences in AILD c ases, suggest a possible association of these herpesviral sequences wi th a distinct hystologic type of non-neoplastic lymphadenopathy, not a ssociated with other common herpes infections. (C) 1996 by The America n Society of Hematology.