title: Recurrent cerebral infarcts as the first manifestation of infection with the HIV virus.
abstract: There is an increased risk of stroke in patients with HIV infection. One of the mechanisms is production of anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies, induced by the virus. Many studies have documented a high incidence of aCL antibodies in patients with HIV infection and the increased risk of stroke, although there is no such correlation with other viruses that also stimulate production of aCL antibodies. Probably the HIV virus also stimulates production of other serum proteins, which together with aCL antibodies make procoagulation complexes, similar to the primary anticardiolipin syndrome. We present a case of a 40-year-old patient, hospitalized three times in our department because of recurrent ischemic strokes. Diagnostic tests revealed a high titre of anticardiolipin antibodies and the early stage of HIV infection. Recurrent ischemic strokes were the first manifestation of HIV infection in this patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, CSK MSWiA, Warsaw, Poland. izabella175@wp.pl
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gorczyca
authors.forename: Mirosława
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanek
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Podlasin
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furmanek
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pniewski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012008:Recurrence; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin