Increased frequency of alpha-synuclein in the substantia nigra in human immunodeficiency virus infection.
The frequency of neurodegenerative markers among long surviving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals is unknown, therefore, the present study investigated the frequency of alpha-synuclein, beta-amyloid, and HIV-associated brain pathology in the brains of older HIV-infected individuals. We examined the substantia nigra of 73 clinically well-characterized HIV-infected individuals aged 50 to 76 years from the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium. We also examined the frontal and temporal cortical regions of a subset of 36 individuals. Neuritic alpha-synuclein expression was found in 16% (12/73) of the substantia nigra of the HIV+cases and none of the older control cases (0/18). beta-Amyloid deposits were prevalent and found in nearly all of the HIV+cases (35/36). Despite these increases of degenerative pathology, HIV-associated brain pathology was present in only 10% of cases. Among older HIV+adults, HIV-associated brain pathology does not appear elevated; however, the frequency of both alpha-synuclein and beta-amyloid is higher than that found in older healthy persons. The increased prevalence of alpha-synuclein and beta-amyloid in the brains of older HIV-infected individuals may predict an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative disease.
Khanlou
Negar
N
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Neuropathology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Moore
David J
DJ
Chana
Gursharan
G
Cherner
Mariana
M
Lazzaretto
Deborah
D
Dawes
Sharron
S
Grant
Igor
I
Masliah
Eliezer
E
Everall
Ian P
IP
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D051844:alpha-Synuclein