TROPISM OF HUMAN-HERPESVIRUS-8 FOR PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN PATIENTS WITH CASTLEMANS-DISEASE

Multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD), also called multicentric angio follicular lymphoid hyperplasia, is a systemic lymphoproliferative dis order causing fever, lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. Recently, Kapos i's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus 8 (KSHV/HHV-8) DN A sequences have been detected in cases of MCD. We examined HHV-8 DNA sequences in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of two HIV -negative patients with MCD and in PBMCs and the lymph node of a HIV-n egative patient with localized Castleman's disease (LCD) by the polyme rase chain reaction. The novel sequences were detected in all DNA samp les. Furthermore, the sequences were detected in only the CD19(+) B-ly mphocyte fraction of the patient with LCD as previously reported. Howe ver the sequences were detected in CD19(+) B-lymphocyte and CD2+ T-lym phocyte fractions of two patients with MCD. These results suggest that HHV-8 has tropisms for both B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes in Castle man's disease.