Detection of human herpesvirus 8 DNA in pemphigus and chronic blistering skin diseases.
10.3346/jkms.2000.15.4.442
- Author:
Ho Sun JANG
1
;
Chang Keun OH
;
Jae Young LIM
;
Eun Sook JUN
;
Yu Sun KIM
;
Kyung Sool KWON
Author Information
1. Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea. hsjang+AEA-hyowon.cc.pusan.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Comparative Study ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Herpesvirus, Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Pemphigus;
Blister
- MeSH:
Adult;
Comparative Study;
DNA Mutational Analysis;
DNA, Viral/genetics;
DNA, Viral/analysis+ACo-;
Female;
Herpesviridae Infections/virology+ACo-;
Herpesviridae Infections/epidemiology;
Herpesvirus, Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated/pathogenicity;
Herpesvirus, Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated/isolation +ACY- purification+ACo-;
Herpesvirus, Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated/genetics;
Human;
Korea/epidemiology;
Male;
Middle Age;
Paraffin Embedding;
Pemphigus/virology+ACo-;
Pemphigus/etiology;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Prevalence;
Retrospective Studies;
Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous/virology+ACo-;
Skin Diseases, Viral/virology+ACo-;
Skin Diseases, Viral/epidemiology;
Tissue Fixation
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
2000;15(4):442-448
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Increased incidences of Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphoid malignancies have been observed in patients with pemphigus, and the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is very strongly associated with these tumors. Because the virus may be one of the triggering factors of pemphigus, we undertook this study to screen for the presence of HHV-8 in chronic blistering skin diseases including pemphigus. A total of 45 paraffin-embedded specimens were studied using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers to amplify a 160-base pair HHV-8 fragment. HHV-8 DNA could be detected in 7 of 9 patients with pemphigus vulagris, and 1 of 2 with pemphigus foliaceus. All specimens of other blistering skin diseases were negative for HHV-8. On sequencing PCR products, the sequences were almost identical with the prototypic sequence for HHV-8, and a few base- pair substitutions at 1086C-T and 1139A-C were detected. The results of our study suggests that HHV-8 might have trophism for pemphigus lesions. Further studies including comparison of HHV-8 DNA load in both lesional and normal skin in the same patient, serological and animal studies would be helpful to study the relationship between HHV-8 and pemphigus.
