© 2003 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

As highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is available for less than one million individuals worldwide, Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) remains a common complication of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Use of HAART has reduced the incidence of KS and, in affected individuals, HAART alone can lead to KS resolution. Pos-sible mechanisms include general improvements in immune function including the specific generation of anti-KS responses, the inhibition of HIV-1 cofactors that are thought to be important in tumour development and inhibitory effects on angiogenic growth factors and cytokines that promote KS formation. The relative contributions of these mechanisms will be discussed. Infection with HIV-1 is associated with a significant and increased risk of developing KS, a tumour that remains