title: Immunohistochemical localization of human immunodeficiency viral antigens in formalin-fixed spinal cords with AIDS myelopathy.
abstract: Some patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have long-tract degeneration in the spinal cord. Spinal-cord sections showing degeneration were immunoreactive in 13 of 17 AIDS patients using rabbit antiserum to whole disrupted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or a mouse monoclonal antibody to HIV core protein p24. The immunostaining was in a few macrophages, multinucleated cells, gliomesenchymal-cells nodules, glial cells and vascular endothelial cells. Eleven of the positive cases had histopathologic evidence of long-tract vacuolar alterations associated with this immunoreactivity, and the two cases without vacuolar alterations had immunoreactive multinucleated cells and gliomesenchymal-cell nodules. Immunolocalization of HIV in the spinal cord correlated well with clinical signs and symptoms, although concomitant cerebral and systemic infections often obscured the significance of the spinal-cord findings in the clinical setting. HIV vasculitis could lead to myelitis and to the clinical appearance of long-tract signs and symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Cowan
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009187:Myelitis / Q000473:pathology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015488:HIV Antigens