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.
Department of Neurology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33151.
J R
JR
Berger
M
M
Kumar
A
A
Kumar
J B
JB
Fernandez
B
B
Levin
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