Relationship of Kaposi Sarcoma (KS)-Associated Herpesvirus Viremia and KS Disease in Zimbabwe

The relationship between Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV) viremia and KS disease was investigated in 500 subjects who received treatment in Harare Zimbabwe. Subjects were grouped by results of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 serological tests KS diagnosis and KS clinical stage. The plasma KSHV DNA concentration was associated with concomitant KS and HIV-1 infection (AIDS-KS; P <.001) and AIDS-KS clinical stage (P =.01 ). Plasma KSHV DNA levels were greater in AIDS-KS than in matched HIV-1–seronegative KS (P =.04). The plasma KSHV DNA level was not associated with age sex systemic symptoms or CD4+ lymphocyte count. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell KSHV DNA concentrations were linearly related (r2=.44; P <.001) and the nucleotide sequence of the K1 gene highly variable region was identical in both compartments. These findings provide evidence that KSHV viremia is common in advanced AIDS-KS in Zimbabwe and suggest a relationship between KSHV lytic replication and untreated HIV-1 infection. (authors)