Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PR Newswire, 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019 - Friday September 26 4:07 PM EDT
Justin McArthur, M.D., professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University and one of six distinguished researchers here at the symposium, examined the relationship between virus levels in the fluid surrounding the brain known as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and severity of AIDS-related dementia in 207 HIV-positive patients. Dr. McArthur found that virus levels in the CSF were significantly higher among those patients clinically diagnosed with HIV dementia, suggesting that HIV found in the CSF has a direct role in AIDS-related dementia.
``Fifteen to twenty percent of individuals with AIDS experience HIV-associated dementia. These numbers may have declined in today's era of highly active antiretroviral therapy, however, since only a few available antiretrovirals penetrate the CNS adequately, the role of the brain as a sanctuary for HIV replication is becoming increasingly important,'' remarked Dr. McArthur.
HIV penetration of the central nervous system (CNS) -- the brain and spinal cord -- is frequent, sometimes occurring before the development of opportunistic infections and AIDS. According to 1994 CDC AIDS surveillance data, CNS complications made up 6,419 or eight percent of all AIDS-defining diseases in the 79,674 patients diagnosed with AIDS.
``Our hope is that by establishing markers for AIDS-related disease progression in the brain we will be able to better identify patients at risk for dementia and the therapies that may help prevent or reverse it,'' commented Dr. McArthur.
HIV-associated dementia is a brain disorder that affects an individual's ability to function in a social or occupational setting. Researchers believe that dementia may result from HIV infection of nerve cells in the brain. If untreated, dementia progresses quickly, with some patients surviving six months or less.
SOURCE Grey Healthcare Group
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