Date Published:
2009
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Authors:
Secondary:
Journal of Neurovirology
Volume:
15
Pagination:
131-138
URL:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Keywords:
Age Factors;Aged;alpha-Synuclein;Amyloid beta-Protein;Biological Markers;Female;HIV;HIV Infections;Humans;Immunohistochemistry;Internal;Male;Middle Aged;Neurodegenerative Diseases;Substantia Nigra;Up-Regulation
Abstract:
<p>The frequency of neurodegenerative markers among long surviving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals is unknown, therefore, the present study investigated the frequency of alpha-synuclein, beta-amyloid, and HIV-associated brain pathology in the brains of older HIV-infected individuals. We examined the substantia nigra of 73 clinically well-characterized HIV-infected individuals aged 50 to 76 years from the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium. We also examined the frontal and temporal cortical regions of a subset of 36 individuals. Neuritic alpha-synuclein expression was found in 16% (12/73) of the substantia nigra of the HIV+cases and none of the older control cases (0/18). beta-Amyloid deposits were prevalent and found in nearly all of the HIV+cases (35/36). Despite these increases of degenerative pathology, HIV-associated brain pathology was present in only 10% of cases. Among older HIV+adults, HIV-associated brain pathology does not appear elevated; however, the frequency of both alpha-synuclein and beta-amyloid is higher than that found in older healthy persons. The increased prevalence of alpha-synuclein and beta-amyloid in the brains of older HIV-infected individuals may predict an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative disease.</p>