title: Immunological and viral markers of HIV infection and retinal microangiopathy.
abstract: The relationship between retinal microangiopathy and some features of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection such as HIV antigenemia, antibodies to the viral proteins, T lymphocyte subsets, were studied in 71 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The absence of antibodies to the HIV p24 protein was significantly related to retinal microangiopathy (p = 0.0051) and more closely to retinal cotton-wool spots (p = 0.0007); the combination of positive antigenemia with the absence of antibodies to p24, which is typical of the later phases of HIV infection, was found in a larger percentage of patients with cotton-wool spots (p = 0.0013) than in subjects with every sign of microangiopathy (p = 0.0546). T-helper (CD4+) cells count below 200 cells/mm3 was also detected in a higher percentage of patients with HIV-related retinal microangiopathy (p = 0.009). These findings suggest that retinal microangiopathy and especially retinal cotton-wool spots are related to the progression of immunodeficiency.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Roma La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pivetti-Pezzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamburi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Accorinti
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mezzaroma
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vullo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sorice
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aiuti
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24