title: The pro-apoptotic human BH3-only peptide harakiri is expressed in cryptococcus-infected perivascular macrophages in HIV-1 encephalitis patients.
abstract: In the central nervous system (CNS), HIV-1 targets mainly microglia/macrophages. Like the CD4+ T cell depletion and neuronal loss in AIDS, apoptosis is thought to be involved in eliminating infected macrophages. In this study, we examined the expression of the pro-apoptotic BH3-peptide harakiri (Hrk) in brain tissues of AIDS patients. Immunoreactivity against Hrk was positive in perivascular macrophages infiltrated into some restricted lesions. Most of these immunopositive cells contained small inclusions positive for Grocott's methenamine silver staining. Confocal laser microscopy demonstrated that Hrk expression coincided with immunoreactivities against HIV-1 and Cryptococcus neoformans. Expression of Hrk mRNA was demonstrated in these cells by in situ hybridization, which indicated that Hrk is not phagocytosed material. Some pro-apoptotic bcl-family members, including Hrk, may contribute to the delayed hypersensitive reaction in AIDS, in macrophages eliminating opportunistic infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. tshinoe-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinoe
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wanaka
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nikaido
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakuta
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masunaga
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duyckaerts
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imaizumi
authors.forename: Aikichi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016622:Silver Staining / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; C484586:HRK protein, human; D009479:Neuropeptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger