HERPESVIRUS-LIKE DNA-SEQUENCES IN NON-KAPOSIS SARCOMA SKIN-LESIONS OFTRANSPLANT PATIENTS

Herpesvirus-like DNA sequences (KSHV) have been reported to be associa ted with various forms of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). To determine if KSHV was associated with other proliferative skin lesions from non-AIDS imm unocompromised patients, 33 shin lesions (basal cell carcinomas, squam ous cell carcinomas, actinic keratoses, verruca vulgaris, atypical squ amous proliferations, and seborrhoeic keratosis) from 4 organ-transpla nt patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy were tested for KSHV b y PCR. KSHV sequences were detected in 82% of these skin lesions. Our results suggest that KSHV is associated with lesions other than KS in non-AIDS immunocompromised patients, and may also be involved in the p athogenesis of the various forms of proliferative skin lesions from or gan-transplant patients.