Kaposi's Sarcoma and HTLV-III: A Study in Nigerian Adult Males

Abstract

Sera from 37 adult Nigerian men with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), 30 contemporaneous controls bearing primary cell carcinoma of the liver (PCL), and 150 healthy non-tumour-bearing negative controls were tested for antibody to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Certain immunocellular functions were also measured: the chemotactic locomotion of peripheral blood monocytes towards casein, delayedtype cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction to tuberculoprotein and opportunistic infection with the fungus Candida albicans. Sera from all these groups were also tested for markers of previous infections with the viruses cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis A (HAV). All serum samples tested were reproducibly and consistently negative for anti-HTLV-III/LAV. Peripheral blood monocytes from both KS and PCL patients showed profound depression of chemotaxis; similarly all tumour patients gave markedly depressed cutaneous reactivity to tuberculoprotein and uniformly exhibited seropositivity to CMV, EBV, HBV and HAV. A great majority showed evidence of infection with Candida albicans. It is concluded that tropical African KS is not associated with HTLV-III/LAV infection.

Skin diseases in Nigeria: the Calabar experience

“…43,44 Kaposi's sarcoma was the most common tumor/growth in this study, accounting for 17.7% of this category of dermatoses and 63.3% of the total number of malignancies. However, it is important to note that prior to the increase in the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, Kaposi's sarcoma was already highly endemic in Cross River State, 47 and thus the high frequency of this condition identified in this study in comparison with others 5,6,14 may indeed reflect the combined effects of the endemicity of Kaposi's sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV) and the HIV/AIDS virus epidemic. Pruritic papular eruption, seborrheic dermatitis, and Kaposi's sarcoma have been judged to be the most common HIV-related conditions in a number of studies in Nigeria.…”

“…This rising trend was also observed by Onunu et al 46 This increase may be explained by the growing number of HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) infections in sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is important to note that prior to the increase in the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, Kaposi's sarcoma was already highly endemic in Cross River State, 47 and thus the high frequency of this condition identified in this study in comparison with others 5,6,14 may indeed reflect the combined effects of the endemicity of Kaposi's sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV) and the HIV/AIDS virus epidemic.…”

The role of Kaposi sarcoma‐associated herpesvirus in the pathogenesis of Kaposi sarcoma

“…This concept was also supported by the work of Giraldo and colleagues , who observed, by electron microscopy, herpes‐like virus particles in cell cultures from KS biopsies. Several infectious agents (CMV, HBV, HHV 6, HTLV and HIV) were then suspected to be the causal agent of KS, but none of them showed a significant association with the disease . Additional strands of evidence in favour of an aetiological link between a viral agent and KS emerged during the AIDS epidemic.…”

Prevalence of Kaposi's Sarcoma Among Adult HIV-Seropositive Patients Seen in a Designated HIV Treatment and Care Center in Abuja, Nigeria

“…[2][3][4][5][6] Although rarely diagnosed before the emergence of HIV/AIDS, previous studies have documented the presence of EKS in Nigeria. 3,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] In 1981, the emergence of KS among young gay men in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco heralded the beginning of the AIDS pandemic, 15,16 and since then, AAKS, an AIDS-defining disease, has emerged as the most commonly diagnosed malignancy among HIV-seropositive patients. 17 Other HIV-associated malignancies include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and anal and cervical cancers, especially squamous intraepithelial lesions.…”