Cytomegalovirus infection in classic, endemic and epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma analyzed by in situ hybridization

In order to evaluate the association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) at the cellular level, four classic KS, five endemic (African) KS and 55 epidemic KS from 12 patients with AIDS were analyzed by in situ hybridization with a biotinylated specific CMV‐DNA probe. CMV‐DNA was sparsely demonstrated in the sarcomas in 10 of the patients with AIDS but in none of the classic or endemic sarcomas. The distribution and localization of the CMV‐infected cells did not suggest CMV as a major pathogenic stimulus for the development of KS but rather as an opportunistic infection in severely immunosuppressed patients.