Detection Of Human Herpes Virus Type-8 Dna In Kaposi\'s Sarcoma And Other Bullous Skin Diseases

Abstract

Background: Since the discovery of Human Herpes viru-8 [HHV-8], many workers try to search its presence in skin lesions of different diseases, and in the peripheral blood of healthy and diseased individuals. Objective: of this work is to study the role of HHV-8 in inducing Kaposi's sarcoma “KS”, in HIV sero-negative patients, for better understanding its pathogenesis. Study the role of HHV-8 in two bullous skin diseases, especially, pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and bullous pemphegoid (BP). Subjects: Thirty patients and ten healthy controls were included in this study. Patients were divided into three groups, each of them includes 10 patients, Group I (KS), Group II (PV) and Group III (BP). Study design: A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to detect HHV-8 DNA in the skin biopsy specimens taken from lesional skin and non lesional skin and from the peripheral blood of all studied patients, the normal skin control samples and blood of healthy volunteers also enrolled in the study. The immune status of all subjects was assessed by tuberculin skin test. Results: The incidence of HHV-8 detection in Lesional skin, non lesional skin and the peripheral blood of all studied Groups was as follow: Group I “KS”, 100%, 20% & 20% respetively. In Group II “PV”, 30%, 20% and 0% respectively. In Group III, 20%, 10% and 0% respectively. In Control group (Group 4) HHV-8 could not be detected either in normal skin flaps or in the peripheral blood of healthy volunteers. Tuberculin test was positive in 10 control subjects, and gave negative results in all patients included in the study. A higher significant statistical difference merged on comparing the incidence of HHV-8 in lesional skin of KS patients and other groups, PV and BP. No statistical significant difference could be detected on comparing the incidence of HHV-8 in non lesional skin and in the peripheral blood of the four studied groups. Conclusion: The results of this study strongly suggest a specific etiopathological role of HHV-8 in KS. The virus can be considered as an opportunistic infection of patients with bullous diseases PV and BP. Recommendation: further studies should be done for the development of curative therapy and protective vaccine.

New Egyptian Journal of Microbiology Vol. 17 (2) 2007: pp. 15-26