Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infects endothelial and spindle cells.

Boshoff, C; Schulz, T F; Kennedy, M M; Graham, A K; Fisher, C; Thomas, A; McGee, J O; Weiss, R A et al. · Nat Med · 1995

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a vascular tumour that contains characteristic spindle cells forming slit-like spaces, may have an infectious aetiology. Recently, sequences of a new human herpesvirus, KSHV/HHV-8, have been identified in both HIV-associated and classical KS. We sought to identify the target cell of this virus in KS tumour tissue. Using PCR in situ hybridization (PCR-ISH) we show that KSHV/HHV-8 is present in the flat endothelial cells lining vascular spaces of KS lesions as well as in typical KS spindle cells. These findings show that KSHV/HHV-8 is present in the cell types thought to represent neoplastic cells in these lesions.

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