Immunophilin expression in the HIV-infected brain

Immunophilins (IP) are receptors for immunosuppressive drugs and also aid protein folding, assembly, and trafficking. This autopsy study analyses the levels of FKBP12 in the brain of patients with HIV encephalitis. We show that the expression of FKBP12 is increased in the deep gray matter and frontal cortex where it colocalizes with markers of pathology. Changes in FKBP12 levels may be linked to the abnormal protein folding and axonal transport that characterize the neurodegenerative process and could also explain the selective vulnerability of the basal ganglia to HIV infection.