Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A role for a new herpes virus (KSHV) in different forms of Kaposi's sarcoma

  • Article
  • Published:

From Nature Medicine

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a previously rare, tumour-like lesion of controversial biological nature1,2. KS has since the early 1980s become frequent in patients with AIDS, particularly in homosexuals3. KS is also endemic in Central Africa predominantly in otherwise healthy men but also in women and children1,4. Recently, evidence for the presence of novel, herpes virus DNA sequences in more than 90% of AIDS Kaposi lesions (AKS) was presented5. This DNA was identified using representational difference analysis (RDA) generating short, unique sequences with variable homology to several herpes virus, but no intact virus was recovered. If these DNA-sequences are also present in other, non-HIV-associated forms of Kaposi's sarcoma this would strongly suggest a specific, aetiopathological involvement of this putative new herpes virus in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma, rather than a contamination of yet another opportunistic virus in immunosuppressed AIDS patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kaaya, E.E., et al. Spindle cell ploidy and proliferation in endemic and epidemic African Kaposi's sarcoma. Eur. J. Cancer 28A, 1890–1894 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ensoli, B. & Gallo, R.C. Growth factors in AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma: Cytokine and HIV-1 tat protein. in “AIDS updates” (eds De Vita, V.T., Hellman, S. & Rosenberg, S.A.), 7, 1–12 (Lippincott, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1994).).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Friedman-Kien, A.E. Disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma-like syndrome in young homosexual men. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 5, 468–470 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bayley, A.C. Occurrence, clinical behaviour and management of Kaposi's sarcoma in Zambia. Cancer Surv. 10, 53–71 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Chang, Y., et al. Identification of herpesvirus-like DNA sequences in AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma. Science 266, 1865–1869 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Martin Schalling

  2. Immunopathology Laboratory, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Marianne Ekman, Ephata E. Kaaya & Peter Biberfeld

  3. Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, S-105-21, Stockholm, Sweden

    Annika Linde

Authors
  1. Martin Schalling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marianne Ekman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ephata E. Kaaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Annika Linde
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Peter Biberfeld
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schalling, M., Ekman, M., Kaaya, E. et al. A role for a new herpes virus (KSHV) in different forms of Kaposi's sarcoma. Nat Med 1, 707–708 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0795-707

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0795-707

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation