Detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 in brain tissue.
Infection due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 2 is believed to cause a clinical picture similar to that of HIV-1, although extensive data are not available. In 2 patients with West African exposure and neurologic symptoms, HIV-2 was detected in the central nervous system using DNA and RNA polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, and immunohistology. In the first patient, the neurologic disease was most likely due to productive infection with HIV-2. In the second, a combination of neuropathologic abnormalities (including the presence of HIV-2) explained the clinical features. Thus HIV-2, like HIV-1, can be readily detected in brain tissue in patients with neurologic abnormalities, although the exact role of HIV-2 in pathogenesis of AIDS-associated neurologic disease requires further study.
Unité d'Oncologie Virale, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
D E
DE
Dwyer
S
S
Matheron
S
S
Bakchine
J M
JM
Bechet
L
L
Montagnier
R
R
Vazeux
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral