HIV-Related Dementia Research Yields New Clues

HIV has been detected in two specific types in patients with dementia associated with the disease.

Two genetically different types of HIV were found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with HIV-associated dementia, which helps to explain why neurological issues are more likely to develop in patients with AIDS as they get older.

According to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the two different types of HIV are not being discovered in HIV that circulates in a patient’s blood, and may only be present in the CSF in the years leading up to dementia. It could also help scientists to understand why antiretroviral therapy can help to prevent some of the HIV-related neurological issues.

"This is the first time that anyone has demonstrated active replication of HIV virus in a cell type other than T- cells," said Ronald Swanstrom, lead author of the study and director of the UNC Center for AIDS Research, as quoted by USA Today. "We know that HIV in the blood disappears quickly when you go on therapy, and that's because the virus is growing in T-cells, which have a very short half-life."

There was also evidence that the virus is being produced by a cell with a longer half-life, as opposed to a T-cell, Swanstrom added, but more research is needed to determine the relevance of this in relation to neurological issues related to HIV.

The research was published in the journal PloS Pathogens.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!