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Publication Abstract Display
Type: Published Abstract
Title: HIV-1 RNA but not DNA in NNTC brain specimens is correlated with neurocognitive impairment.
Authors: Gelman B, Chen T, Lisinicchia J, Commins D, Masliah E, Grant I, Singer E, Achim C, Sherman S, Gensler G, Brant D, Yiannoutsos C, Fox H, Morgello S
Year: 2012
Publication: Journal of NeuroVirology
Volume: 18 Issue: Suppl 1 Pages: S39
Abstract:Relationships between HIV replication in the brain and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain to be elucidated. HIV gag/pol RNA and DNA were measured in 119 brain specimens from the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium (NNTC) archive. A correlation analysis with neuropsychological test performance within six months before autopsy was undertaken. DNA and RNA were extracted from fresh-frozen dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Viral RNA and DNA were measured using reverse transcriptase qPCR and standard qPCR. The NNTC neurocognitive test battery was given and performance T scores were normalized for education, age, race and gender. The overall Spearman correlation between high HIV RNA concentration and a low composite T score was significant (n = 119; rho = -0.290; p < 0.001). The same analysis using brain HIV DNA was not statistically significant overall (rho = -0.071, p < 0.444). Conclusion: A high level of replicating HIV in the brain was related to worse neuropsychological test performance. The clinico-neurovirological correlation was relatively specific for replicating HIV, because HIV DNA was not correlated with brain function significantly.

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