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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Registered Bioimaging of Nanomaterials for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Monitoring
Published on: December 9, 2010
Diffusion-tensor MR imaging of the brain in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients
Majda M Thurnher1, Mauricio Castillo, Alfred Stadler
1Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Section, University Hospital Vienna, Austria.
Background And Purpose:
There is early evidence that diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) is useful in demonstrating subtle white matter alterations in different diseases of brain. We hypothesize that DTI in several brain regions in human immunodeficiency virus-positive (HIV+) patients is useful in the early detection of HIV-related brain injury.
Methods:
MR imaging and DTI were performed in 60 HIV+ patients and in 30 controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC; mm/s(2)) maps were generated and coregistered on T2-weighted images. Regions of interest were placed in the splenium and genu of the callosum, the frontal white matter, and the hippocampus. HIV+ patients were divided into those whose CD4 count were <250 cells/mm(3) or >250 cells/mm(3). According to plasma viral loads, patients were divided into those whose viral loads were <50 copies/mL, 50-100,000 copies/mL, or >100,000 copies/mL.
Results:
Statistically significant decrease of FA was found in the genu of the corpus callosum in HIV+ patients compared with controls. FA was reduced in the frontal white matter and hippocampi in HIV+ patients compared with controls. Differences, however, were not statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were found between the HIV+ groups for FA of the splenium or between these groups and the controls. ADC values were significantly increased in the genu of HIV+ patients when compared with controls and were also increased in other locations, but without statistical significance.
Conclusion:
As used in this study, DTI was not helpful in identifying patients with early HIV infection.
Insights
Diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) did not effectively detect early brain injury in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. Further research is needed to identify reliable imaging biomarkers for HIV-related neurological complications.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Early evidence suggests diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) can reveal subtle white matter changes in various brain diseases.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) can manifest as subtle white matter alterations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of DTI in detecting early brain injury in HIV-positive patients.
- To hypothesize that DTI can identify subtle white matter changes indicative of HIV-related brain injury.
Main Methods:
- MR imaging and DTI were performed on 60 HIV+ patients and 30 controls.
- Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were generated.
- Regions of interest included the corpus callosum (genu and splenium), frontal white matter, and hippocampus.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant decrease in FA was observed in the genu of the corpus callosum in HIV+ patients compared to controls.
- FA was reduced in the frontal white matter and hippocampi of HIV+ patients, though not significantly.
- ADC values were significantly increased in the genu of HIV+ patients, with non-significant increases in other regions.
Conclusions:
- DTI, as applied in this study, was not effective in identifying early HIV-related brain injury.
- The observed DTI changes did not reliably differentiate HIV+ patients from controls or stratify patients based on CD4 count or viral load.
