Brain Inflammation is a Common Feature of HIV-Infected Patients Without HIV Encephalitis or Productive Brain Infection.

Brain Inflammation is a Common Feature of HIV-Infected Patients Without HIV Encephalitis or Productive Brain Infection. Curr HIV Res. 2014 May 26; Authors: Tavazzi E, Morrison D, Sullivan P, Morgello S, Fischer T Abstract HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) describes different levels of neurocognitive impairment,whichare a common complication of HIV infection. The most severe of these, HIV-associated dementia (HIV-D), has decreased in incidence since the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), whilean increase in the less severe, minor neurocognitive disorder (MND), is now seen. The neuropathogenesis of HAND is not completely understood,however macrophages (Mφ)s/microglia are believed to play a prominent role in the development of the more severe HIV-D. Here, we report evidence of neuroinflammation in autopsy tissues from patients with HIV infection and varying degrees of neurocognitive impairment but without HIV encephalitis (HIVE). Mφ/microglialand astrocyte activation is less intense but similar tothat seen in HIVE, one of the neuropathologies underlying HIV-D. Mφs and microglia appear to be activated, as determined by CD163, CD16and HLA-DR expression, many having a rounded or ramified morphology with thickened processes, classically associated with activation. Astrocytes also show considerable morphological alterations consistent with an activated state and have increased expression of GFAP and vi...
Source: Current HIV Research - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Curr HIV Res Source Type: research