Infection and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in human brain vascular pericytes by human cytomegalovirus.

Background: Congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections can result in CNS abnormalities in newborn babies including vision loss, mental retardation, motor deficits, seizures, and hearing loss. Brain pericytes play an essential role in the development and function of the blood-brain barrier yet their unique role in HCMV dissemination and neuropathlogy has not been reported.

Methods: Primary human brain vascular pericytes were exposed to a primary clinical isolate of HCMV designated 'SBCMV'.

KSHV downregulation of galectin-3 in Kaposi's sarcoma.

Galectins are a family of proteins that share an affinity for beta-galactoside containing glycoconjugates. In prostate, ovarian and breast cancer, downregulation of galectin-3 is associated with malignancy and tumor progression. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is characterized as an angioproliferative tumor of vascular endothelial cells and produces rare B cell lymphoproliferative diseases in the form of primary effusion lymphomas and some forms of multicentric Castleman's disease.