title: Increased frequency of alpha-synuclein in the substantia nigra in human immunodeficiency virus infection.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Neuropathology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Negar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khanlou
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Gursharan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chana
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cherner
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lazzaretto
authors.forename: Sharron
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dawes
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Eliezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masliah
authors.forename: Ian P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Everall
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D051844:alpha-Synuclein