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An In Vitro Model for Studying Cellular Transformation by Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus
Published on: August 25, 2017
Is classic Kaposi's sarcoma endemic in Peru?: report of a case in an indigenous patient
Salim Mohanna1, Vicente Maco, Allen Gown
1Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. salim17@yahoo.com
Abstract:
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) has been classified in four clinical variants (classic or Mediterranean; endemic or African; epidemic or AIDS-related; iatrogenic or immunosuppression-related). Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), has been found in all these variants. We herein discuss the unusual presentation of a 53-year-old indigenous patient with purplish-brown nodular lesions on lower extremities, and miliary tuberculosis. ELISA-HIV tests were negative and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of the tumor tissue was positive for HHV-8. This is the first reported case in which the presence of HHV-8 was evidenced by means of IHC techniques in Peru. We also review all available Peruvian literature of classic KS, a disease that has been frequently reported in indigenous population of Peru since 1968, making this country a possible endemic zone of classic KS.
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