Proliferative membranopathy and human immunodeficiency virus in AIDS hearts

In order to determine if cardiac tissue from AIDS patients or patients with seropositivity to HIV-1 might be infected by HIV-1, portions of myocardium obtained postmortem were evaluated for HIV-1 DNA sequences. Cellular DNA was extracted and digested with EcoR1 and Southern blots were performed. One of three AIDS hearts was positive for HIV-1 DNA sequences without amplification, whereas two additional hearts were positive for HIV-1 DNA after amplification. Accordingly, other tissue from the heart positive for HIV-1 without amplification was studied by electron microscopy to localize HIV virions. Unexpectedly, large numbers of proliferating multilamellated membrane bodies were identified in myocytes, predominantly associated with mitochondria. Identical membrane bodies were found in two additional AIDS hearts, and in one heart from a patient with seropositivity to the AIDS virus, but in none of three similarly fixed controls. Immunocytochemistry for HIV core (p24) and envelope (gp120) antigens did not localize gold-labeled antibodies to the membrane bodies. We believe this membranopathy may be an HIV-1- or AIDS-specific abnormality of unknown etiology that may be related to the ultimate development of cardiomyopathy. In addition, our studies provide further support that HIV-1 may be present in AIDS hearts, although as yet we cannot state with certainty where the HIV-1 is located in these tissues.