KSHV-DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in late-EPC cultures from patients with cKS according to their clinical stage and KSHV serology.

Abstract

a<p>Antibody titers were calculated as the reciprocal of the highest plasma dilution giving positive results.</p>b<p>cKS patients were classified according to our classification that takes into account the prevalent type of lesions, localization, clinical behaviour, evolutive pattern and presence of complications <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0001520#pone.0001520-Brambilla1" target="_blank">[7]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0001520#pone.0001520-DellaBella1" target="_blank">[8]</a>.</p>c<p>In two patients the presence of KSHV-DNA was determined in multiple passages of unstimulated late-EPC cultures.</p>d<p>KSHV-DNA determined in highly pure CD146+ late-EPCs, maintained in culture for further 2 weeks after CD146 sorting.</p><p>KSHV = Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus; PBMCs = peripheral blood mononuclear cells; late-EPC = late-endothelial progenitor cell;</p><p>cKS = classic Kaposi's sarcoma; LANA = latency-associated nuclear antigen; GE = genome equivalents.</p