Elevated Galectin-9 across the human brain correlates with HIV neuropathology and detrimental cognitive states
AbstractHIV persistence and neuroinflammation are known to contribute to HIV-associated neuropathology. However, the multifaceted pathways driving impairment remain poorly understood. Galectin-glycan interactions have emerged as significant contributors to neuroinflammatory processes and may play a role in neuroHIV. Here, we quantified Galectin-9 (Gal-9), a pleiotropic immunomodulatory protein, in post-mortem brain tissue across multiple regions from HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected donors to determine causal associations with HIV brain injury. We demonstrate that the staining intensity, total staining area, and cell-associ...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 26, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
The prevalence and outcomes of depression in older HIV-positive adults in Northern Tanzania: a longitudinal study
This study aims to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in PLWH aged ≥ 50 years in Tanzania focussing on prevalence and 2-year outcomes of depression. PLWH aged ≥ 50 were systematically recruited from an outpatient clinic and assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Neurological and functional impairment was assessed at y ear 2 follow-up. At baseline, 253 PLWH were recruited (72.3% female, median age 57, 95.5% on cART). DSM-IV depression was highly prevalent (20.9%), whereas other DSM-IV psychiatric disorders were uncommon. At follow-up (n = 162), incident ca...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 25, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Case report of Usutu virus infection in an immunocompromised patient in Italy, 2022
AbstractUsutu virus (USUV) is an arthropod-borne flavivirus emerged in Africa in 1950s and in Eruope in 1990s causing a massive number of birds ’ deaths. The role of USUV as human pathogen has been only recently hypothesized and cases of USUV infection in humans remain limited and often related to immunocompromised subjects. Herein, we report a case of USUV meningoencephalitis infection in an immunocompromised patient with no history of p revious flavivirus infection. The infection due to USUV evolved rapidly since hospital admission thus resulting fatal in few days after symptoms onset and, although not proven, a suspec...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 25, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Microglia proliferation underlies synaptic dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex: implications for the pathogenesis of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive and affective alterations
AbstractMicroglia, which are productively infected by HIV-1, are critical for brain development and maturation, as well as synaptic plasticity. The pathophysiology of HIV-infected microglia and their role in the pathogenesis of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive and affective alterations, however, remains understudied. Three complementary aims were undertaken to critically address this knowledge gap. First, the expression of HIV-1 mRNA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of postmortem HIV-1 seropositive individuals with HAND was investigated. Utilization of immunostaining and/or RNAscope multiplex fluorescent assays revea...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 24, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Brain opportunistic infections and tumors in people living with HIV — still a challenge in efficient antiretroviral therapy era
AbstractThe aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of brain opportunistic pathologies and survival in patients living with HIV from a Romanian tertiary center. A 15-year prospective observational study of brain opportunistic infections diagnosed in HIV-infected patients was performed at Victor Babes Hospital, Bucharest, betw een January 2006 and December 2021. Characteristics and survival were compared related to modes of HIV acquisition and type of opportunistic infection. A total of 320 patients were diagnosed with 342 brain opportunistic infections (incidence 9.79 per 1000 person-years), 60.2% males with media...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 23, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Cerebrospinal fluid CD14++CD16+ monocytes in HIV-1 subtype C compared with subtype B
AbstractCD14++CD16+ monocytes are susceptible to HIV-1 infection, and cross the blood –brain barrier. HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) shows reduced Tat protein chemoattractant activity compared to HIV-1B, which might influence monocyte trafficking into the CNS. We hypothesized that the proportion of monocytes in CSF in HIV-1C is lower than HIV-1B group. We sought to assess differences in monocyte proportions in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB) between people with HIV (PWH) and without HIV (PWoH), and by HIV-1B and -C subtypes. Immunophenotyping was performed by flow cytometry, monocytes were analyzed within C...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 23, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Stroke risk after varicella-zoster virus infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
In conclusion, the risk of stroke increases after VZV infection, decreasing over time. Po st-infection vascular inflammatory changes often occur in the middle cerebral artery and its branches, with a better prognosis in most patients and less frequent persistent progression. (Source: Journal of NeuroVirology)
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 23, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Meningitis associated with HHV-7 in an Iranian immunocompetent adolescent girl
This article reports an immunocompetent adolescent girl who developed fever, headache, and meningism which CSF molecular analysis with PCR was positive only for HHV-7. Interestingly, persistent cavum septum pellucidum and cavum vergae were observed on brain magnetic resonance imaging. The patient received antibiotics, dexamethasone, and acyclovir and then she gained full recovery. HHV-7 is a rare and yet possible pathogen in patients with meningitis, and this is the first described case report from Iran. (Source: Journal of NeuroVirology)
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 22, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Cognitive deficits in HTLV-1 patients
AbstractHuman T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus known to be associated with adult T-cell lymphoma and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Previous researches and brain imaging techniques have suggested cognitive abnormalities as well as brain damage in individuals infected with this virus. Given the insufficient amount of studies on how this virus can impact the affected person ’s cognition, we aimed to assess and compare the cognitive abnormalities of HAM/TSP patients, asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers, and healthy controls. This cross-sectional study was conducted on ...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 19, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in aquaporin-4 associate with cognitive impairment status in people with HIV
AbstractNeurocognitive impairments are more frequent in people with HIV (PWH) compared to their uninfected counterparts. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is a spectrum disorder and up to 50% of PWH are reported to suffer from HAND. Altered waste clearance from the brain, chronic neuroinflammation and impaired metabolic processes may contribute to abnormal aging in PWH and are more common among those who suffer from HAND. Thus, it is important to identify earlier predictors for development of HAND. A key contributor to cognitive impairment in HIV an d in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is formation and accumulatio...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 16, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
A case report of encephalitis induced by SARS-CoV-2 confirmed by etiology: first case in Qingdao, China
AbstractThe neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients are receiving increasing attention with the global spread of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we report the first case of SARS-CoV-2-induced encephalitis in Qingdao, China. We detected SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs and cerebrospinal fluid from this 68-year-old female patient. (Source: Journal of NeuroVirology)
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 15, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Persistent accelerated epigenetic ageing in a longitudinal cohort of vertically infected HIV-positive adolescents
AbstractWe have previously shown accelerated ageing in adolescents perinatally infected with HIV (PHIV +), based on discrepancies between epigenetic and chronological age. The current study examines follow-up longitudinal patterns of epigenetic ageing and the association of epigenetic ageing with cognition as well as whole brain structure changes in PHIV + and healthy controls enrolled in the Cape Town Adolescent Antiretroviral Cohort Study (CTAAC). The Illumina EPIC array was used to generate blood DNA methylation data from 60 PHIV + adolescents and 36 age-matched controls aged 9–12 years old at baseline and...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 13, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
A frantic confusion: beyond rabies and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate encephalitis
We report here the case of a 44-year-old immunocompetent adult with HEV meningoencephalitis presenting with aggressiveness and then coma. The evolution was spontaneously favorable without any specific treatment. This clinical case aims to draw attention on this emerging and probably under-recognized cause of meningoencephalitis. (Source: Journal of NeuroVirology)
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 12, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Expression in skin biopsies supports genetic evidence linking CAMKK2, P2X7R and P2X4R with HIV-associated sensory neuropathy
AbstractHIV-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) affects 14 –38% of HIV+ individuals stable on therapy with no neurotoxic drugs. Polymorphisms inCAMKK2,P2X7R andP2X4R associated with altered risk of HIV-SN in Indonesian and South African patients. The role of CaMKK2 in neuronal repair makes this an attractive candidate, but a direct role for any protein is predicated on expression in affected tissues. Here, we describe expression of CaMKK2, P2X7R and P2X4R proteins in skin biopsies from the lower legs of HIV+ Indonesians with and without HIV-SN, and healthy controls (HC). HIV-SN was diagnosed using the Brief Perip...
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 11, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
Cognitive function and impact on driving after SARS-COV-2 infection in a man with long-standing HIV infection: a case report
In this report, we describe post-COVID-19 cognitive and driving function in a 62-year-old man with HIV infection since the early 1990s. (Source: Journal of NeuroVirology)
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - May 9, 2023 Category: Neurology Source Type: research
