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A Rat Model of EcoHIV Brain Infection
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The Neuropathology of HIV/AIDS
1Neuropathology Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh.
International Review of Psychiatry (Abingdon, England)
|February 2, 2008
Summary
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has changed HIV-associated dementia, reducing incidence but increasing prevalence. Neuroinflammation, not viral load, is key to these brain disorders, especially in drug abusers.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurovirology
Background:
- Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) significantly reduced HIV morbidity and mortality.
- The brain is a primary target for HIV, leading to neuropathological changes and neurological symptoms like HIV-associated dementia.
- In the pre-HAART era, HIV-associated dementia was common in AIDS patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolving neuropathology of HIV infection since HAART's introduction.
- To discuss the clinical manifestations of these shifting pathologies.
- To examine the influence of confounding factors like drug abuse and Hepatitis C co-infection.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on neuropathological and clinical changes in HIV-infected individuals post-HAART.
- Analysis of factors influencing HIV-related neurological disorders.
- Examination of the correlation between HIV-associated dementia and neuroinflammation versus viral load.
Main Results:
- HAART has decreased the incidence of HIV-associated dementia but increased its prevalence due to longer lifespans.
- HIV-associated dementia correlates more strongly with neuroinflammation than with viral load or HIV encephalitis.
- Drug abusers exhibit higher rates of HIV-related clinical and neuropathological disorders.
Conclusions:
- The introduction of HAART has altered the landscape of HIV-associated neurological complications.
- Neuroinflammation is a critical factor in the development of HIV-associated dementia.
- Co-infections and substance abuse significantly impact the presentation and prevalence of HIV-related brain disorders.
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