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Quantitation of human immunodeficiency virus in brains of demented and nondemented patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
Author(s) -
Johnson Richard T.,
Glass Jonathan D.,
McArthur Justin C.,
Chesebro Bruce W.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410390319
Subject(s) - virology , virus , dementia , polymerase chain reaction , viral disease , immunodeficiency , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , medicine , sida , immunopathology , immunology , biology , pathology , disease , gene , genetics , immune system
We measured human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA in brains of 15 patients who died with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). All had been followed prospectively prior to death; 7 were demented and 8 were not demented. HIV was detected in 13 of 15 brains by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in the remaining 2 by presence of viral RNA or viral antigen. Quantitative PCR showed a wide range in amounts of HIV DNA with no significant difference between brains of demented and nondemented patients. These results suggest that qualitative features of the virus, rather than increased virus load per se, may be responsible for the clinical differences between HIV‐infected patients with and without dementia.