The combination of zidovudine and interferon alfa has activity against adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma, even in patients in whom prior cytotoxic therapy has failed. This regimen should be evaluated further for its role in the treatment of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma.

Human herpesvirus (HHV) type 8 has been detected in both classical and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma, body-cavity lymphomas, and other types of tumors. HHV-8 has also been detected in DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of some Kaposi's sarcoma patients and more readily in B cell fractions derived from panned cell subpopulations. Two patients were followed using several methods; in situ hybridization, solution-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and in situ PCR. HHV-8 was intermittently detected in plasma, and detection correlated with detection in PBMC. In situ PCR demonstrated HHV-8 sequences in both peripheral blood B lymphocytes and, to a lesser extent, T lymphocytes. HHV-8 may undergo periods of viremia while at other times it is undetectable and infects circulating B cells and some T cells.

The survival of viral mediated lymphomas depends upon constitutive nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) activity. AIDS-related human herpesvirus type 8-associated primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) responds poorly to chemotherapy and is almost invariably fatal. We have previously demonstrated that the antiviral combination of interferon alpha (IFN-␣) and azidothymidine (AZT) induces apoptosis in PEL cell lines. We therefore used these agents as therapy for an AIDS patient with PEL.