Presence of Human Herpesvirus 8 Variants in the Oral Tissues of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Persons

Authors:
  • SNS. L. Ngui
    S. L. Ngui
  • PSP. M. Speight
    P. M. Speight
  • CSC. M. Scully
    C. M. Scully
  • JZJ. M. Zakrewska
    J. M. Zakrewska
  • IWI. G. Williams
    I. G. Williams
  • LAL. Artese
    L. Artese
  • APA. Piattelli
    A. Piattelli
  • CTC. G. Teo
    C. G. Teo
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Abstract
A 210-bp DNA segment specific to the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) genome was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction from 10 of 14 archived oral biopsy samples of HIV-positive patients in London who had no evidence of oral Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Various oral sites were represented. Oral tissues from 20 general dental patients not known to be HIV-infected were negative. When DNA sequences of these products were compared with sequences derived from 5 oral KS tissues of AIDS patients in London and 10 skin biopsies of Italian patients with Mediterranean KS (total number of positive tissues = 25), 11 were found to be unique. DNA and predicted peptide motifs of these sequences were also different from those in 28 of 36 HHV-8-positive lesions previously reported from American and African patients. HHV-8 is tropic for the oral mucosa of HIV-infected persons, and HHV-8 variants, though diverse, may be geographically restricted.