title: Sensory and sympathetic ganglia in HIV-1 infection: immunocytochemical demonstration of HIV-1 viral antigens, increased MHC class II antigen expression and mild reactive inflammation.
abstract: Sensory and sympathetic ganglia from 12 cases of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, all but one without clinical evidence of peripheral nerve disease, were studied immunocytochemically for their content of lymphocytes, macrophages, MHC Class II antigens and HIV-1 and cytomegalovirus antigens. They were compared with ganglia from 7 normal and peripheral nerve disease control cases. Compared with normal controls, many of the ganglia from the majority of HIV-1-infected subjects contained more T lymphocytes and macrophages and enhanced MHC class II expression. A few also showed occasional neuronal degeneration which was not present in the normal controls. In 7 cases HIV-1 gp41 envelope protein and/or p24 core protein antigens were detected in intraganglionic macrophages. Sensory ganglia contained more gp41 HIV-1 antigen than sympathetic ganglia. There was no clear correlation between detection of HIV-1 antigens in ganglia and in the CNS. Detection of HIV-1 antigens in ganglia was more common in cases of HIV-1 infection that had progressed to clinical AIDS by the time of death (71%) than in those that had not done so (40%). It is concluded that there is commonly a mild ganglionitis which is asymptomatic in the absence of detailed clinical testing and frequently associated with local presence of HIV-1 antigens in sensory and sympathetic ganglia in AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Esiri
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Millard
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001344:Autopsy; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006467:Hemophilia A; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006681:HLA-D Antigens