Viruses, cancer and AIDS

Patients with AIDS are at risk of lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma. These tumours are associated with the gamma herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), although a proportion of AIDS lymphomas lacks both viruses. EBV and HHV-8 are latent in the tumour cells, with genes that play a direct role in driving cell proliferation. Human immunodeficiency virus, in contrast, while being the greatest risk factor for lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma, acts indirectly, mainly by causing immune suppression, as immunosuppressed transplant patients are at risk for the same types of tumour.