FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |   Search Term  Advanced Search

Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe

Previous Volume 343:1378-1385 November 9, 2000 Number 19 Next

	Full Text PDF Editorial by Moore, P. S. Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited PubMed Citation

ABSTRACT

Background Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection has been linked to the development of Kaposi's sarcoma and to rare lymphoproliferative disorders.

Methods We used molecular methods, serologic methods, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical analyses to study HHV-8 infection in association with nonmalignant illnesses in three patients after transplantation.

Results Primary HHV-8 infections developed in two patients four months after each received a kidney from the same HHV-8–seropositive cadaveric donor. Seroconversion and viremia occurred coincidentally with disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma in one patient and with an acute syndrome of fever, splenomegaly, cytopenia, and marrow failure with plasmacytosis in the other patient. HHV-8 latent nuclear antigen was present in immature progenitor cells from the aplastic marrow of the latter patient. Identification of the highly variable K1 gene sequence of the HHV-8 genome in both the donor's peripheral-blood cells and the recipients' serum confirmed that transmission had occurred. HHV-8 viremia also occurred after autologous peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation in an HHV-8–seropositive patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Reactivation of the infection was associated with the development of fever and marrow aplasia with plasmacytosis; there was no evidence of other infections. HHV-8 transcripts and latent nuclear antigen were expressed in the aplastic marrow but not in two normal marrow samples obtained before transplantation.

Conclusions Primary HHV-8 infection and reactivation of infection may be associated with nonneoplastic complications in immunosuppressed patients.

Source Information

From the Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Hematology (M.L., P.B., R.T., F.N., A.D., R.M., G.T.), and the Department of Pathology (A.M.), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; the Department of Medical Microbiology and Genitourinary Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom (T.F.S.); the Division of Nephrology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy (G.S., S.S.); and the Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (K.S.). Another author was Julie Sheldon, B.Sc., Department of Medical Microbiology and Genitourinary Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Torelli at the Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Hematology, Policlinico, Via del Pozzo, 71-41100 Modena, Italy, or at gtorelli{at}unimo.it.

Full Text of this Article

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Punj, V., Matta, H., Schamus, S., Yang, T., Chang, Y., Chaudhary, P. M. (2009). Induction of CCL20 production by Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus: role of viral FLICE inhibitory protein K13-induced NF-{kappa}B activation. Blood 113: 5660-5668 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Laney, A. S., Peters, J. S., Manzi, S. M., Kingsley, L. A., Chang, Y., Moore, P. S. (2006). Use of a Multiantigen Detection Algorithm for Diagnosis of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Infection. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 3734-3741 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Scadden, D. T., Muse, V. V., Hasserjian, R. P. (2006). Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 30-2006. A 41-year-old man with dyspnea, fever, and lymphadenopathy.. NEJM 355: 1358-1368 [Full Text]  
• Wu, W., Vieira, J., Fiore, N., Banerjee, P., Sieburg, M., Rochford, R., Harrington, W. Jr, Feuer, G. (2006). KSHV/HHV-8 infection of human hematopoietic progenitor (CD34+) cells: persistence of infection during hematopoiesis in vitro and in vivo. Blood 108: 141-151 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Thaunat, O., Mamzer-Bruneel, M.-F., Agbalika, F., Valensi, F., Venditto, M., Lebbe, C., Frances, C., Kania, R., Chatenoud, L., Antoine, C., Kaveri, S., Kreis, H., Morelon, E. (2006). Severe human herpesvirus-8 primary infection in a renal transplant patient successfully treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody.. Blood 107: 3009-3010 [Full Text]  
• Henke-Gendo, C., Mengel, M., Hoeper, M. M., Alkharsah, K., Schulz, T. F. (2005). Absence of Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 172: 1581-1585 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Dagna, L., Broccolo, F., Paties, C. T., Ferrarini, M., Sarmati, L., Praderio, L., Sabbadini, M. G., Lusso, P., Malnati, M. S. (2005). A Relapsing Inflammatory Syndrome and Active Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection. NEJM 353: 156-163 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gentile, G., Capobianchi, A., Volpi, A., Palu, G., Pica, F., Calistri, A., Biasolo, M. A., Martino, P. (2005). Human Herpesvirus 8 DNA in Serum During Seroconversion in Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst 97: 1008-1011 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Parsons, C. H., Szomju, B., Kedes, D. H. (2004). Susceptibility of human fetal mesencyhmal stem cells to Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. Blood 104: 2736-2738 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sergerie, Y., Abed, Y., Roy, J., Boivin, G. (2004). Comparative Evaluation of Three Serological Methods for Detection of Human Herpesvirus 8-Specific Antibodies in Canadian Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 2663-2667 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Delorme, S., Houde, I., Deschenes, L. (2003). Seroprevalence of Antibodies against Human Herpesvirus 8 in a Population of Renal Transplant Recipients at Hotel-Dieu de Quebec Hospital. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 5207-5208 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mbulaiteye, S. M., Biggar, R. J., Bakaki, P. M., Pfeiffer, R. M., Whitby, D., Owor, A. M., Katongole-Mbidde, E., Goedert, J. J., Ndugwa, C. M., Engels, E. A. (2003). Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection and Transfusion History in Children With Sickle-Cell Disease in Uganda. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst 95: 1330-1335 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sarid, R., Klepfish, A., Schattner, A. (2002). Virology, Pathogenetic Mechanisms, and Associated Diseases of Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (Human Herpesvirus 8). Mayo Clin Proc. 77: 941-949 [Abstract]  
• Ablashi, D. V., Chatlynne, L. G., Whitman, J. E. Jr., Cesarman, E. (2002). Spectrum of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus, or Human Herpesvirus 8, Diseases. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 15: 439-464 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fakhari, F. D., Dittmer, D. P. (2002). Charting Latency Transcripts in Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus by Whole-Genome Real-Time Quantitative PCR. J. Virol. 76: 6213-6223 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Emond, J.-P., Marcelin, A.-G., Dorent, R., Milliancourt, C., Dupin, N., Frances, C., Agut, H., Gandjbakhch, I., Calvez, V. (2002). Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated with Previous Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection in Heart Transplant Recipients. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 2217-2219 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Otieno, M. W., Banura, C., Katongole-Mbidde, E., Johnson, J. L., Ghannoum, M., Dowlati, A., Renne, R., Arts, E., Whalen, C., Lederman, M. M., Remick, S. C. (2002). Therapeutic Challenges of AIDS-Related Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the United States and East Africa. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst 94: 718-732 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Andreoni, M., Sarmati, L., Nicastri, E., El Sawaf, G., El Zalabani, M., Uccella, I., Bugarini, R., Parisi, S. G., Rezza, G. (2002). Primary Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection in Immunocompetent Children. JAMA 287: 1295-1300 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Dearden, C. E., Matutes, E., Cazin, B., Tjonnfjord, G. E., Parreira, A., Nomdedeu, B., Leoni, P., Clark, F. J., Radia, D., Rassam, S. M. B., Roques, T., Ketterer, N., Brito-Babapulle, V., Dyer, M. J. S., Catovsky, D. (2001). High remission rate in T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia with CAMPATH-1H. Blood 98: 1721-1726 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Corchero, J. L., Mar, E.-C., Spira, T. J., Pellett, P. E., Inoue, N. (2001). Comparison of Serologic Assays for Detection of Antibodies against Human Herpesvirus 8. CVI 8: 913-921 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• (2000). Is Kaposi's Sarcoma the New 'Kissing' Disease?. Journal Watch Dermatology 2000: 4-4 [Full Text]  
• Moore, P. S. (2000). The Emergence of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (Human Herpesvirus 8). NEJM 343: 1411-1413 [Full Text]