DETECTION OF HUMAN-HERPESVIRUS-8 DNA IN KAPOSIS-SARCOMA LESIONS AND PERIPHERAL-BLOOD OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-POSITIVE PATIENTS AND CORRELATION WITH SEROLOGIC MEASUREMENTS

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to examine human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) DNA from Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) lesions, normal skin, and per ipheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from human immunodeficiency vir us (HIV)-infected patients who did or did not have KS. Of 9 KS biopsie s, 8 were positive for five HHV-8 open-reading frames and ranged from 1 viral genome per 2.5-12.7 cells. Two putative replicative gene RNAs were detected by reverse transcription-PCR at low levels in 1 KS lesio n, HHV-8 DNA was detected in 4 of 8 PBMC samples from patients with KS and in 2 of 18 PBMC samples from patients without KS. Sera were taste d for reactivity with BCBL-1 cells (HHV-8 positive): High immunofluore scence antibody titers against HHV-8 lytic and latent antigens were de tected in samples from KS-positive patients, and >20 polypeptides from induced BCBL-1 cells were recognized. Sera from 6 of 18 patients with out KS showed low levels of antibodies against HHV-8 lytic and latent antigens.