HERPESVIRUS-LIKE DNA-SEQUENCES IN CLASSIC KAPOSIS-SARCOMAS

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) accounts for more than 15% of AIDS-related malig nancies. The etiology of KS is unresolved but is postulated to be mult i-factorial, involving viruses and overexpression of cellular growth f actors and/or oncogenes. Recently, herpesvirus-like sequences (KSHV) w ere identified with high prevalence in AIDS-KS (AKS), endemic KS, and in classic KS biopsies (CKS). To confirm the presence and the prevalen ce of the KSHV sequences, 18 CKS and 13 AKS samples were tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. To our knowledge this is the highest number of CKS samples that has ever been included in a single study, and it is also important that the biopsies were obtained from different institutions and geographical locations. KSHV sequences were detected in 100% of the AKS samples and 72% of the CKS biopsies using PCR analysis. The presence of the unique KSHV sequences was confirmed by direct sequencing of representative PCR products obtained from AKS and CKS samples. Reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR experiments showed th at the KSHV sequences were transcribed to mRNA in both AKS and CKS sam ples. Our results confirm that the putative new herpesvirus-like agent is associated with both AKS and CKS and may have an etiological role in the pathogenesis of this malignancy. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.