Detection rate and intratumoral virus load of human herpesvirus-8 in immunodeficiency-related B-cell lymphoid malignancies

✍ Scribed by Feuillard, Jean; Aubin, Jean-Thierry; Poirel, Laurent; Davi, Frédéric; Kujas, Michèle; Rousselet, Marie-Christine; Angonin, Régis; Raphaël, Martine; Agut, Henri

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 55 KB
• Volume: 53
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199711)53:3<277::aid-jmv17>3.0.co;2-e

✦ Synopsis

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), associated with Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and Castleman's disease, has been found in circulating B-cells and might have a causative role in B-cell malignancies associated with immunodeficiency syndromes. We determined the rate of detection and intratumoral virus load of HHV-8 by means of a semiquantitative approach in post-transplant lymphoproliferative diseases (PTLDs), AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs), including both Burkitt's lymphomas (BLs) and large cell lymphomas (LCLs), as well as in control groups consisting of follicular hyperplasias (FHs) and HIVnegative LCLs. HHV-8 sequences were detected at a similar rate in HIV-negative PTLDs (24%), HIV-negative LCLs (22%) and HIV-negative FHs (17%). The detection rate was significantly higher in HIV-positive BLs (73%), HIV-positive LCLs (67%), and HIV-positive FHs (65%) supporting the view of an epidemiological link between HHV-8 and HIV infections. The viral load was 10 2 genome copies per cell in the single case of primary effusion lymphoma included in the LCL group while it was 10 -3 copy per cell (median value; range: 10 -4 -10 -1 ) in all the other HHV-8positive samples. No significant difference of viral load was found according to HIV status. The virus loads of PTLDs and HIV-positive LCLs were significantly higher than those observed in HIVpositive BLs and FHs, suggesting, to some extent, that the degree of immunodeficiency may influence HHV-8 replication. However, with the exception of the single case of primary effusion lymphoma studied, the low intratumoral load of HHV-8 strongly argues against a direct causative agent of the virus in the occurrence of PTLDs and AIDS-related NHLs.