Quantification of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in blood, oral mucosa, and saliva in patients with Kaposi's sarcoma.

The aims of this study were to measure Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) load in oral mucosa and blood and to determine their relationship with clinical activity of KS in both AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and HIV-unrelated KS patients. Among AIDS patients, KSHV viral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was higher in patients with active KS than in patients with KS in complete remission. In HIV-unrelated KS patients, KSHV viral load in PBMCs was not correlated with clinical stage. Thus, monitoring KSHV viral load in PBMCs could be useful, particularly in the context of HIV infection. In patients with HIV-unrelated KS, KSHV viral load in oral compartments can be very high even in patients with nonactive KS, implying that patients with nonactive KS are still a potential source of transmission of KSHV through oral contact.