Neurology, Vol 50, Issue 2 335-340, Copyright © 1998 by American Academy of Neurology

ARTICLES

Human herpesvirus 8 DNA in CNS lymphomas from patients with and without AIDS

JR Corboy, PJ Garl and BK Kleinschmidt-DeMasters
Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) has been found in association with Kaposi's sarcomas in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and -negative patients, primary effusion lymphomas (PELs), multicentric Castleman's disease, and multiple myeloma. The PELs share several features with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated primary central nervous system lymphomas (1 degree CNS-L), including B-cell phenotype, infection with Epstein-Barr virus, and lack of c-myc gene rearrangements. This prompted us to investigate the role of HHV-8 in 1 degree CNS-L and other brain lymphomas. METHODS: To identify HHV-8, we performed nested and single polymerase chain reaction using DNA extracted from autopsy and biopsy brain lymphoma specimens of 36 patients with and without AIDS. RESULTS: We detected HHV-8 DNA in 56% of all 1 degree CNS-L, with similar rates for patients with and without AIDS, but in just one of five metastatic B-cell lymphomas. Brain tissues histologically uninvolved by lymphoma were negative for HHV-8 in three patients in whom their 1 degree CNS-L was HHV-8 positive. In contrast, we easily demonstrated HHV-8 DNA in spleens and a KS lesion of patients with HHV-8-positive 1 degree CNS-L. All nonlymphoma brain controls were negative for HHV-8. CONCLUSIONS: HHV-8 DNA is found in a significant percentage of 1 degree CNS-L, including patients with and without AIDS. Identification of HHV-8 in splenic tissue and absence of HHV-8 in control brain tissues suggests the possibility of a peripheral lymphocyte reservoir for HHV-8. Systemically infected lymphocytes may play a direct or indirect role in the pathogenesis of 1 degree CNS-L.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. M. Alderson and I. Delalle Case 10-2002 - A 52-Year-Old Woman with Recurrent Unsteadiness, Slurred Speech, and Fatigue N. Engl. J. Med., March 28, 2002; 346(13): 1009 - 1015. [Full Text] [PDF]

				G L Gallia, L Del Valle, C Laine, M Curtis, and K Khalili Concomitant progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy and primary central nervous system lymphoma expressing JC virus oncogenic protein, large T antigen Mol. Pathol., October 1, 2001; 54(5): 354 - 359. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A Gomez-Brouchet, M B Delisle, A Vital, and P Brousset Immunohistochemical assessment of human herpesvirus 8 infection in primary central nervous system large B cell lymphomas J. Clin. Pathol., August 1, 2001; 54(8): 617 - 618. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. F Miller, M. R Howard, P. Frith, C. J Perrons, I. Pecorella, and S. B Lucas Herpesvirus infection of eye and brain in HIV infected patients Sex Transm Inf, August 1, 2000; 76(4): 282 - 286. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-C. Chan, D. F. Shen, S. M. Whitcup, R. B. Nussenblatt, P. LeHoang, F. G. Roberge, N. Cassoux, C. Herbort, and Z. Zhuang Detection of Human Herpesvirus-8 and Epstein-Barr Virus DNA in Primary Intraocular Lymphomas Blood, April 15, 1999; 93(8): 2749 - 2751. [Full Text] [PDF]