Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) associated with small non-cleaved cell lymphoma in a child with AIDS

✍ Scribed by Leach, Charles T.; Frantz, Christopher; Head, David R.; Gao, Shou-Jiang; McClain, Kenneth L.; Cohen, Maimon; Campbell, Andrew B.; Pollock, Brad H.; Murphy, Sharon B.; Jenson, Hal B.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 268 KB
• Volume: 60
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0361-8609
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8652(199903)60:3<215::aid-ajh8>3.0.co;2-f

✦ Synopsis

The association of human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) with a small non-cleaved cell lymphoma is described in a child with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who developed a malignant pleural effusion and radiologic evidence of multiple solid tumors. HHV-8 DNA and Epstein-Barr virus DNA were identified in pleural fluid cells by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The serum antibody titer against lytic HHV-8 proteins was 1:640; antibodies to latent HHV-8 proteins were not detected. Cytogenetic analysis of malignant cells revealed three abnormal karyotypes sharing the common finding of a t(8;14) translocation. Rearrangement of c-myc was demonstrated by PCR analysis. Oligoclonal JH immunoglobulin bands were found. Insufficient pleural fluid cells were available to permit localization of HHV-8 to malignant cells by in situ hybridization. This malignancy contrasts with HHV-8-associated lymphomas reported in adult patients with AIDS with respect to cell morphology, c-myc translocation, and oligoclonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. HHV-8 is associated with a wider spectrum of malignancies than recognized previously. Am.