PMC317306_01
Microscopic morphology of representative lymph node sections and immunohistochemical detection of HHV8 infection. A: Histology of the axillary lymph node showing proliferation of spindle cells (lower left) and partly involuted germinal center, surrounded by small lymphocytes (upper right). B: HHV8 positive spindle cells. C: HHV8 positive lymphocytes in the follicular mantle zone.
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F1
Histological examination of an axillary lymph node biopsy (Fig. 1A) showed a multifocal proliferation of spindle cells. The diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma was confirmed by positive staining of these spindle cells with antibodies to factor VIII-related antigen (not shown) and HHV8 (Fig. 1B). A number of these lymphocytes also stained positive for HHV8, as seen in multicentric Castleman's disease (Fig. 1C).
HHV8 DNA load of consecutive serum/plasma samples from the case measured with real-time PCR. Arrows indicate the chemotherapy courses. All samples were HHV8 IgG antibody-positive.
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F2
HHV8 infection in a long-term immunocompromised patient. HHV8 DNA load in serum or plasma was determined by real-time quantitative PCR, and was found to increase from 9.0 x 105 copies/ml at the time of admission to 6.3 x 106 copies/ml before treatment start (Fig. 2).
PMC317306_02