title: HIV-1 infection of neurons might account for progressive HIV-1-associated encephalopathy in children.
abstract: Direct and productive infection of neurons in vivo is still a matter of debate, although in vitro experiments have demonstrated that immature neuronal cells can be productively infected by various human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) strains. To address this controversy we have analyzed, using light microscopy and in situ hybridization (ISH), HIV-1 infected cells in brain tissue from four pediatric cases of HIV-1-associated encephalopathy (EP). HIV-1 RNA-expressing cells--therefore, actively infected cells--were detected by ISH in different amounts in all brain specimens from the four children. They mainly correspond to glial cells. However, in two of the four children, who had severe progressive EP, but not in the other two, who had the static form, HIV-1-infected neurons were clearly observed in the cortical brain samples. These results provide initial evidence that HIV-1 can actively infect neurons in vivo in children and show a cortical involvement of HIV brain infection in clear correlation with the clinical EP symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Lab. Inmuno-Biología Molecular y, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cantó-Nogués
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Ramón
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lacruz
authors.forename: Ma Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Muñóz-Fernández
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009474:Neurons / Q000821:virology*