Molecular epidemiology and KSHV K1 subtypes in a Cuban AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma population

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is detected consistently in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Because of its dramatic sequence variation, the K1 gene has been used to classify KSHV. We found a diverse array of KSHV subtypes A1, A2, A3, A5, B1, B2, and C3 in 23 Cuban KS samples containing several novel sporadic insertions/deletions in subtypes A and C. The molecular epidemiology of the KSHV subtypes seems to reflect the unique mixed ethnic background of the Cuban population.