title: Central nervous system involvement in HIV infection.
abstract: Central nervous system (CNS) involvement occurs frequently in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), but at present only a few reports have addressed the analysis of intrathecal IgG synthesis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive patients with no signs of HIV-related neurologic syndromes. In this study, intrathecal IgG synthesis was investigated using several techniques in patients with different stages of HIV infection and then correlated with the state of the blood-brain barrier. Almost all patients had specific anti-HIV IgG synthesis within the CNS, suggesting the presence of HIV in the brain. These findings further stress that direct CNS infection occurs early in the course of systemic virus spread.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Rossi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amadori
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tavolato
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chieco-Bianchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G