HLA in familial and nonfamilial Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma in Greece

Abstract

Fifty-four (54) unrelated patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma (MKS) and 8 patients members of 4 unrelated families with familial MKS were serotyped for HLA-A,B and DR antigens. The diagnosis was histologically confirmed and all patients were negative for anti-HIV antibodies. An increased frequency of HLA-B18 (44.4% vs 14.2% in the controls, p < 0.001, RR = 4.8) and HLA-DR5 (57.6% vs 37.2% in the controls, p < 0.025, RR = 2.29) was observed in the group of patients with MKS. Seven (7) of the 8 family members with FMKS possessed HLA-DR5, and the affected members in the 3 families shared a common haplotype which included HLA-DR5. These findings support the hypothesis that genetic factors linked to HLA-DR5 antigen may contribute to the pathogenesis of MKS.

Direct correlation between human herpesvirus‐8 seroprevalence and classic Kaposi's sarcoma incidence in Northern Sardinia

“…Indeed, previous studies showed an increase in frequency of HLA-DR5 in Kaposi's sarcoma patients, although this data remains controversial [Contu et al, 1984;Kaloterakis et al, 1995]. It would be of interest to analyze the potential correlation between HHV-8 infection and the prevalence of some genetic traits that have been described as frequent among the Sardinian population and relatively rare in most of the Caucasian population.…”

Classic Kaposi Sarcoma in the United States over the last two decades: A clinicopathologic and molecular study of 438 non-HIV-related Kaposi Sarcoma patients with comparison to HIV-related Kaposi Sarcoma

“…6,7 In North America, Classic Kaposi Sarcoma is rare with an incidence of 2.6-4.1/million men and 0.6-0.9/ million women 4 compared with incidences as high as 50/million men and 28/million women in rural areas of Italy 8 and 16.9/million men and 6.3/million women in Israel. 9 In addition to this classic variant Our series identifies Classic Kaposi Sarcoma in the United States as a disease predominantly of Caucasian Americans, followed by Mediterraneans, Hispanics, and Black Americans.…”

Impact of host genetics on HIV disease progression and treatment

“…For example, risk of developing HHV-8-associated Kaposi's sarcoma has been associated with HLA-DR5 in both 'classical' [43,44] forms of the disease as well as in HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (along with HLA-DR1) [45][46][47][48][49][50][51] in Caucasian (but not African [52]) populations, whilst HLA-DR3 (a component of the HLA-B8-associated ancestral MHC haplotype) is protective [50,51]. In the case of the common Caucasian MHC haplotype that includes HLA-A1/ -B8/-DR3 alleles, these data indicate that individuals carrying this haplotype experience more rapid CD4 Tcell decline and are generally at increased risk of opportunistic infections; but at the same remain at low risk of developing Kaposi's sarcoma [50,51].…”