Witte M H, Witte C L
Department of Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson.
Lymphology. 1988 Mar;21(1):4-10.
An hypothesis is presented to explain the link between acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). According to this hypothesis, AIDS involves all four components of the integrated lymphatic system--lymphatics, lymph nodes, lymphocytes, and lymph--and thereby resembles various congenital and acquired lymphologic syndromes characterized by one or more of the following features: lymphostasis, angiogenesis, and fibrosis; depletion of immunocompetent cells and immunosuppression; opportunistic infections; and vascular neoplasms. A better understanding of the steps in the evolution of these processes and their interrelationships to the four components of the lymphatic system should provide insight into the immunopathogenesis of AIDS-KS as well as its detection and treatment.
