Budka H; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1989 Jun 4-9; 5: 457 (abstract no. Th.B.P.248).

Neurological Institute, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

OBJECTIVE: To clarify frequency, cellular tropism, and relation to tissue pathology, of productive HIV infection in human CNS. METHODS: Immunocytochemistry for HIV p17, p24, and gp41, for specific cellular markers, and for opportunistic pathogens, on serial sections of formol-fixed, paraffin-embedded CNS autopsy tissue of 57 patients (56 with AIDS) with various pathologies. RESULTS: HIV antigens detectable in 37 cases (65%). In 26 cases large amounts of HIV in lesions histopathologically diagnosed as HIV-induced (Budka, Acta neuropathol 77:225,1989), including vacuolar myelopathy and leukoencephalopathy. In 7 cases isolated immunoreactive cells unassociated with pathology. In lesions of opportunistic infections HIV+ cells absent (24 cases) or rare (6 cases); only in 3 cases massive HIV coinfection. Immunoreactivity limited to cells with phenotype of microglia or macrophage. CONCLUSION: Productive HIV infection of the CNS is frequent in AIDS, with the microglia/macrophage as target. Early HIV production without associated pathology involves isolated microglia. Massive production of HIV is invariably associated with prominent and specific histopathology. HIV pathogenicity in the CNS appears as microglia/macrophage-mediated, possibly via secretion by productivity infected cells of myelinotoxic factor(s). (Supported by the Lord Mayor's Medical-Scientific Fund, Vienna).

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• AIDS Vaccines
• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Animals
• Brain Diseases
• Central Nervous System
• Communicable Diseases
• HIV
• HIV Antigens
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Microglia
• Opportunistic Infections
• immunology

Other ID:

• 00235489

UI: 102178258

From Meeting Abstracts