Bagasra O, Bobroski L, Sarker A, Pomerantz RJ; Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.
Program Abstr 4th Conf Retrovir Oppor Infect Conf Retrovir Oppor Infect 4th 1997 Wash DC. 1997 Jan 22-26; 4th: 200 (abstract no. 731).
Dorrance H. Hamilton Laboratories, Center for Human Virology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a form of skin cancer, most commonly found in individuals suffering from AIDS. However, before the worldwide epidemic HIV-1, the rare occurrence of KS was confined to two distinct groups. In the Western World, the classical or sporadic form of KS (CKS) was often found in older men (60-70 years of age) from the Mediterranean area. Another form called endemic KS (EKS), was found in Equatorial Africa. However, currently the most common cases of KS are found in the individuals suffering from AIDS, and is called AIDS-associated KS (AKS). In 1994, Chang, et al. by utilizing representational difference analysis, identified a unique herpes virus DNA sequence associated with KS in AIDS-patients. Sequences of this putative new Human Herpes Virus- Type 8 (HHV-8 or KSHV) has been found in individuals with classical KS, in HIV-1-seropositive homosexual men with immunodeficiency and in individuals with Multi-centric Castleman's Disease. Previously, we have shown the presence of HHV-8 in various cell types in KS lesions. In the present studies, we have evaluated the presence of HHV-8 in sperm specimens from HIV-1-negative and -positive individuals. Semen samples from the same 94 HIV-1-infected homosexual men were evaluated by in situ PCR for the presence of HIV-1 and HHV-8. Our analyses revealed that HHV-8 was present in 86 out of 94 (91%) HIV-1-infected-individuals' sperms as well as in the mononuclear cells of the semen specimens. As with HIV-1 infection of sperm, HHV-8 was also present in these individuals semen in all stages of HIV-1-infection. Surprisingly, as opposed to HIV-1, which was located at the midpieces of sperms, HHV-8 was predominantly located in the heads of the sperms. Also, interestingly, 8 out of 12 (66%) of the HIV-1-seronegative individuals also were positive for HHV-8 in their sperm heads. However, the percentage of HHV-8 positive sperms in the "normal" individuals were very low (1-2% as compared to HIV-1-infected which varied from 12-82%).
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Africa
- Giant Lymph Node Hyperplasia
- HIV Infections
- HIV-1
- Herpesviridae
- Herpesviridae Infections
- Herpesvirus 8, Human
- Homosexuality
- Humans
- Male
- Mediterranean Sea
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sarcoma, Kaposi
- Semen
- Skin Neoplasms
- Spermatozoa
Other ID:
UI: 102225207
From Meeting Abstracts