Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is an unusual vascular tumour caused by an oncogenic-herpesvirus, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV 8). KS lesions are characterized by an abundant inflammatory infiltrate, the presence of KSHV-infected endothelial cells that show signs of aberrant differentiation, as well as faulty angiogenesis/ vascularization. Here we discuss the molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of these histological features of KS, with an emphasis on the viral proteins that are responsible for their development.
Keywords: KSHV; Kaposi sarcoma; aberrant angiogenesis; atypical differentiation; inflammation; invasiveness; oncogenesis.
Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.