Apoptosis induced by HIV-1 infection of the central nervous system

BIN SHI; UMBERTO DE GIROLAMI; JIANGLIN HE; SHU WANG; ALFREDO LORENZO; JORGE BUSCIGLIO; DANA GABUZDA

AMER SOC CLINICAL INVESTIGATION INC

Año: 1996 vol. 98 p. 1979 - 1979

poptosis plays a role in AIDS pathogenesis in the immune system, but its role in HIV-1?induced neurological disease is unknown. In this study, we examine apoptosis induced by HIV-1 infection of the central nervous system (CNS) in an in vitro model and in brain tissue from AIDS patients. HIV-1 infection of primary brain cultures induced apoptosis in neurons and astrocytes in vitro as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and propidium iodide staining and by electron microscopy. Apoptosis was not significantly induced until 1?2 wk after the time of peak virus production, suggesting induction by soluble factors rather than by direct viral infection. Apoptosis of neurons and astrocytes was also detected in brain tissue from 10/11 AIDS patients, including 5/5 patients with HIV-1 dementia and 4/5 nondemented patients. In addition, endothelial cell apoptosis was frequently detected in the brain of AIDS patients and was con