title: Expression of pro- and anti-apoptosis gene products in brains from paediatric patients with HIV-1 encephalitis.
abstract: We have previously demonstrated the presence of DNA fragmentation in neurons, macrophages and microglia consistent with apoptosis, but not in reactive astrocytes in brain tissue from paediatric patients with HIV-1 encephalitis (HIVE). To further understand the underlying mechanism(s) for these findings as they relate to gene-directed neural cell death, we studied the in-situ expression of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, including the pro-apoptosis gene product Bax, the anti-apoptosis gene product Bcl-2, and Bcl-x. We demonstrate significantly elevated numbers of Bax-positive microglia and macrophages immunoreactive in basal ganglia and cerebral cortex of children who had HIVE, in comparison to HIV-1 infected children without encephalitis or children who were seronegative for HIV-1. In contrast, patients with HIVE, but not HIV-1 without encephalitis, or seronegative controls, had increased expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-x in reactive astrocytes in cortex and basal ganglia. In vitro studies using Western blot analysis demonstrated an up-regulation in the levels of Bax, and phosphorylated (i.e. inactive) Bcl-2 in HIV-1 infected macrophages, and in LPS-activated macrophages, relative to levels in virus-negative unstimulated macrophages. These results suggest that productive HIV-1 infection, or cellular activation, renders macrophages more vulnerable to apoptosis. Taken together, these findings suggest that brain-resident macrophages and microglia in patients with HIV-1 encephalitis are more prone to undergo apoptosis and that astrocytes in contrast may be resistant to apoptosis. This may represent a mechanism to limit microglial activation and the spread of productive HIV-1 infection in the CNS of children with HIV-1 encephalitis.
authors.affiliation: Burnham Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krajewski
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Blumberg
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gendelman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gummuluru
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dewhurst
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Sharer
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Gelbard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein