Kaposi's sarcoma following malignant mesothelioma

Our plain-English summary of Kaposi's sarcoma following malignant mesothelioma, by V. Ascoli, C.C. Scalzo, M. Andreoni, et al (Virchows Archiv, 1999).

The study

• Authors: V. Ascoli, C.C. Scalzo, M. Andreoni, L. Manente, A. Pistilli, F. Lo Coco
• Journal: Virchows Archiv
• Published: 1999;435(6):612-5
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 6 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

We report the unusual occurrence of Kaposi's sarcoma following asbestos-related malignant mesothelioma, in a human deficiency virus (HIV)-negative Italian man. Seropositivity to human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) was documented at the time of mesothelioma diagnosis and preceded the onset of Kaposi' sarcoma with a time lapse of 13 months. HHV8 DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in lesional Kaposi's sarcoma but not within mesothelioma. By immunostaining, mesothelioma cells expressed interleukin-6 and platelet-derived growth factor, which are important for survival of Kaposi's sarcoma cells. Besides the possibility of a casual association, we hypothesize that mesothelioma-linked factors may have contributed to the development of Kaposi's sarcoma in the presence of HHV8 infection.

In plain English

This case report described a 63-year-old man from Campania, southern Italy, with a history of asbestos exposure. He was diagnosed with epithelial-type malignant mesothelioma of the pleura in August 1995. He was negative for HIV and hepatitis C antibodies and for hepatitis B surface antigen, and his treatment included cisplatin chemotherapy. In September 1996, 13 months after the mesothelioma diagnosis, he developed a nodular Kaposi's sarcoma lesion on his right foot, which recurred four months later. He died of respiratory failure due to the mesothelioma in June 1997, and no autopsy was performed. A blood sample taken when the mesothelioma was diagnosed was positive for antibodies to human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) at high titers. HHV8 DNA was found in both Kaposi's sarcoma lesions but not in the mesothelioma. Almost all mesothelioma cells stained positive for interleukin-6 and platelet-derived growth factor. The authors said a relationship between the two cancers could not be established from this single observation. They hypothesized that factors linked to the mesothelioma may have helped trigger Kaposi's sarcoma in a person already infected with HHV8. They considered a role for cisplatin unlikely.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report (single patient)
• Who was studied: One 63-year-old man born in Campania, southern Italy, negative for HIV and hepatitis C antibodies and for hepatitis B surface antigen, diagnosed with pleural malignant mesothelioma in August 1995
• Exposure: A history of asbestos exposure. No fiber type, job or dose is given.
• Main results:
  • The patient's pleural mesothelioma was of the epithelial type.
  • Thirteen months after the mesothelioma diagnosis (September 1996), the patient developed a nodular Kaposi's sarcoma lesion of the right foot. It recurred 4 months later (January 1997).
  • The patient died at home of respiratory failure due to the mesothelioma in June 1997. No autopsy was performed.
  • A serum sample taken on the day of thoracentesis, before Kaposi's sarcoma appeared, was positive for HHV8 anti-lytic antibodies at high titers (1:640).
  • HHV8 DNA was detected in both Kaposi's sarcoma lesions (at first presentation and at recurrence) but not in the mesothelioma specimen.
  • Almost all mesothelioma cells were positive for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors hypothesized that the mesothelioma could have played a role in triggering Kaposi's sarcoma in the presence of HHV8 infection. They considered a cisplatin treatment-related risk factor unlikely.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors stated that a relationship between mesothelioma and Kaposi's sarcoma cannot be derived from a single observation.
  • The authors stated they could not formally prove whether the proposed mesothelioma-linked factors were operating in this case.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Sarcoma, Malignant Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF).

Related studies

• Two cases of secondary soft tissue sarcomas after radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy — C. Saggia, G. Forti, et al. (2004)
• Risk of mesothelioma following external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a cohort analysis of SEER database — A. Farioli, F.S. Violante, et al. (2013)
• Malignant mesothelioma following thoracic radiotherapy for lung cancer — S.M. Witherby, K.J. Butnor, et al. (2007)
• Long-term outcomes following post-operative radiotherapy for Stage I/II testicular seminoma - an Australasian single-institution experience — W.L. Ong, L. Nazareth, et al. (2016)
• Epithelioid sarcoma. A clinical and pathologic study of nine cases — H. Santiago, L.K. Feinerman, et al. (1972)
• Second primary malignancies in patients with hidradenocarcinoma: a US national database study — A. Loya, V. Ramachandran, et al. (2020)

Browse more research in Virchows Archiv, or return to medical research.