Primary pulmonary hypertension, Castleman's disease and human herpesvirus-8

• Published in: The European respiratory journal Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 403 - 407
• Main Authors: Bull, T.M, Cool, C.D, Serls, A.E, Rai, P.R, Parr, J, Neid, J.M, Geraci, M.W, Campbell, T.B, Voelkel, N.F, Badesch, D.B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Eur Respiratory Soc 01.09.2003
• Subjects: Adult; Cardiac Catheterization; Castleman Disease - pathology; Castleman Disease - virology; Female; Herpesviridae Infections - complications; Herpesviridae Infections - pathology; Herpesvirus 8, Human - isolation & purification; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary - pathology; Hypertension, Pulmonary - virology; Immunohistochemistry; Lung - pathology; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Male; Polymerase Chain Reaction
• ISSN: 0903-1936; 1399-3003
• DOI: 10.1183/09031936.03.00006903

Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) and Castleman's disease (CD) are rare conditions infrequently encountered in clinical practice. In this paper, two patients diagnosed with both of these diseases are reported. The authors speculate that rather than being a chance occurrence, these conditions are linked by a common angio-proliferative mechanism. Therefore, an association between infection with the human herpesvirus-8 and the diseases of PPH and CD was sought. Evidence of human herpesvirus-8 infection was found in the lung tissue and, specifically, in the plexiform lesions from one of the patients.