Submit a comment
Abstract
Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV), a human gammaherpesvirus, is the etiological agent for the endothelial-derived Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and also for certain lymphoproliferative disorders. In these lymphoproliferations, the KSHV-infected cells carry the stigmata of B lymphocytes, with plasmablastic features. The JCI has published three manuscripts addressing key questions related to B cell infection and viral latent expression in B cells. Myoung and Ganem provide evidence that CD4+ lymphocytes suppress KSHV replication, promoting latency in B cells; Hassman and colleagues show that KSHV infection drives plasmablast differentiation in a subset of IgM+ λ light chain–expressing cells; and Ballon and colleagues describe the in vivo transdifferentiation of B lymphocytes by KSHV-encoded viral FLICE-inhibitory protein (vFLIP).
Authors
Chris Boshoff
Guidelines
The Editorial Board will only consider comments that are deemed relevant and of interest to readers. The Journal will not post data that have not been subjected to peer review; or a comment that is essentially a reiteration of another comment.
- Comments appear on the Journal’s website and are linked from the original article’s web page.
- Authors are notified by email if their comments are posted.
- The Journal reserves the right to edit comments for length and clarity.
- No appeals will be considered.
- Comments are not indexed in PubMed.
Specific requirements
- Maximum length, 400 words
- Entered as plain text or HTML
- Author’s name and email address, to be posted with the comment
- Declaration of all potential conflicts of interest (even if these are not ultimately posted); see the Journal’s conflict-of-interest policy
- Comments may not include figures
Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)