Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
KAPOSI'S SARCOMA: A RIDDLE WITHIN A PUZZLE
Kaposi's Sarcoma: A Text and Atlas. Gottlieb GJ, Ackerman AB, eds. Philadelphia, Lea and Febiger, p. 3-7, 1988.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/88647194 Rosai J; Dept. of Surgical Pathology, Yale Univ. Sch. of Medicine, New; Haven, CT
Abstract:
From the time of its discovery, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) has proven difficult to classify, and its exact nature remains unknown today. It is obvious that KS is related to the vascular system, but whether it is a proliferative disease primarily of the lymph vessels or blood vessels and whether the affected cells are endothelial, perithelial, or some other type is not as obvious. There are special aspects of the cells in KS that set them apart from endothelial cells seen in normal, reactive, or neoplastic conditions other than KS. The other large question in KS concerns its nature: is it a reactive condition of the cutaneous vessels, ie, a benign dermatosis, or is it a true malignant process? The view that KS is primarily an inflammatory, or even infectious, process has received unexpected support from the cases that are part of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and the possibility that a virus might be the pathogenic agent. Herpes-type virus particles have been detected in cultured KS cell lines from African patients and in a biopsy specimen; elevated antibody titers to cytomegalovirus (CMV) have been found in these patients; CMV messenger RNA has been localized in KS cells; CMV DNA, CMV RNA, and CMV-determined nuclear antigens have been found in tumor specimens. KS seems to bridge the gap between infection and neoplasia in a way similar to that of the 'lymphoma' developing in the X-linked immunodeficiency disorder or in the recipient of an organ transplant. The analogy is even more direct in regard to the alleged association between KS and prior immunosuppressive therapy, such as that given following a renal transplant or to treat collagen-vascular diseases, and the remarkable fact that in some cases the discontinuation of immunosuppression leads to regression of the lesions. (36 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PATHOLOGY Antibodies, Viral/ANALYSIS Cytomegalovirus/IMMUNOLOGY Human Immunohistochemistry Sarcoma, Kaposi's/*PATHOLOGY Skin/PATHOLOGY Skin Neoplasms/*PATHOLOGY Tumor Virus Infections/PATHOLOGY MONOGRAPH REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIAL
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
