Cerebrospinal fluid dopamine in HIV-1 infection.
BACKGROUND
Increasing evidence suggests significant involvement of the basal ganglia in patients with HIV-1 infection.


OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of HIV-1 infection on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dopamine levels.


METHODS
CSF dopamine levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.


METHODS
A university-based outpatient clinic in south Florida involved in clinical AIDS research.


METHODS
Twenty-two subjects were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal study of the neurological complications of AIDS. Five subjects were HIV-seronegative, but at risk for HIV-1 infection, 11 were HIV-1-seropositive without neurological disease and six had HIV-1-related neurological disease.


RESULTS
The CSF dopamine mean values were significantly lower in the HIV-1-seropositive group with (P < 0.0001) or without (P < 0.0001) neurological disease than in the HIV-seronegative group. There was a very strong correlation between CD4 lymphocyte counts and CSF dopamine levels (P = 0.004) in the neurologically symptomatic group (P = 0.0008), but not in the other two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV-1 infection appears to have an effect on the central nervous system dopaminergic systems, as reflected in levels of CSF dopamine.
Berger
J R
JR
Department of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33151.
Kumar
M
M
Kumar
A
A
Fernandez
J B
JB
Levin
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004298:Dopamine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies
D004298:Dopamine