Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

An In Vitro Model for Studying Cellular Transformation by Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus
Published on: August 25, 2017
Classic Kaposi's sarcoma in the Inuit of northern Quebec
Nathan Rosen1, A Kevin Watters, Alain Brassard
1Division of Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. nathanrosen@videotron.ca
Background:
Classic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is predominantly a disease of eastern Mediterranean and Ashkenazi Jewish elderly men. Nevertheless, the disease has been reported to occur in people from various other ethnic and regional backgrounds.
Objective:
We report, for the first time, the occurrence of classic KS in five Inuit people living in northern Quebec, Canada.
Methods And Results:
We describe the case of a 69-year-old Inuit man with classic KS, and report four other cases of KS in the Inuit population, identified by a review of our hospital's dermatopathology records.
Conclusion:
The discovery of classic KS in the Inuit population of northern Quebec brings with it new questions as to the origins of the KS-associated herpes virus in this population. It is our belief that the answers to these questions are in the genotype of the virus that is present in this community.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

