title: Human immunodeficiency virus and the brain.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects the nervous system in the majority of patients, causing a variety of neurological syndromes throughout the course of the disease. This review focuses on the effects of HIV in the central nervous system, with an emphasis on HIV-associated dementia. HIV-associated dementia occurs in a subset of patients with AIDS; it is unclear why these patients and not all patients develop the disease. Several factors are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated dementia, including neurotoxins released from the virus and/or infected macrophages and microglia, immunologic dysregulation of macrophage function, and specific genetic strains of HIV. These factors, and their possible interactions, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D017628:Microglia / Q000502:physiology