Kaposi's sarcoma in pregnant women

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 377; no. 6544; p. 21
• Main Authors: Rabkin, Charles S, Chibwe, George, Muyunda, Kamuya, Musaba, Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 07-09-1995
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - complications; Adolescent; Adult; AIDS/HIV; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Chorionic Gonadotropin - physiology; Chorionic Gonadotropin - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Mice; Mice, Nude; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic - drug therapy; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic - epidemiology; Sarcoma; Sarcoma, Kaposi - complications; Sarcoma, Kaposi - drug therapy; Sarcoma, Kaposi - epidemiology; Zambia
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/377021a0

Lunardi-Iskandar et al. demonstrated that the beta -chain of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) kills Kaposi's sarcoma-derived cell lines in culture and inhibits tumour production by these cell lines in nude mice. They also observed regression of Kaposi's sarcoma in two women during pregnancy, when levels of this hormone are elevated. Because of the potential aetiological and therapeutic significance of these results, we examined clinical data from the Dermatovenereology Clinic, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. We postulated that if hCG protected against disease in humans, AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma would occur with lower frequency or severity during pregnancy. The clinical data do not support the prediction from laboratory results that hCG is protective against Kaposi's sarcoma.