Document 0707
 DOCN  M9440707
 TI    HIV antigen and DNA in AIDS spinal cords correlate with macrophage
       infiltration but not with vacuolar myelopathy.
 DT    9404
 AU    Petito CK; Vecchio D; Chen YT; Department of Pathology, New York
       Hospital-Cornell University; Medical College, New York.
 SO    J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 1994 Jan;53(1):86-94. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/94132844
 AB    Since the relationship between vacuolar myelopathy (VM) and HIV
       infection of the spinal cord is unclear, we studied 74 cases of VM in
       AIDS patients for associated spinal cord and brain diseases, the
       presence of HIV antigens (n = 54) and amplified DNA (n = 7) and serum
       levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid (n = 6). Necrosis of the medial F.
       gracilis was present in 14%, HIV myelitis in 9%, cytomegalovirus
       myelitis in 3% and microglial nodules in 16%. HIV-immunoreactive
       macrophages were encountered in 6% of VM cords; they were in regions of
       gracile tract necrosis in two and in monocytes and multinucleated cells
       in spinal gray matter in one. Amplified HIV DNA was detected in 50% of
       cords and 70% of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of cases with moderate or
       severe VM and 63% of cords and 75% of DRG in AIDS cases without VM. Six
       of the eight spinal cords with HIV DNA contained macrophages whereas all
       cords without HIV DNA (n = 6) were normal or contained only rare
       macrophages. There was no association between VM and HIV myelitis or
       opportunistic infections of the CNS, but there was a close association
       with HIV encephalitis which occurred in 80% of severe VM, 33% of
       moderate VM and 17% of mild VM. Vitamin B12 and folic acid levels were
       normal or elevated in all six AIDS with VM as well as in 12 AIDS without
       VM; all had received prophylactic vitamin therapy prior to
       death.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/MICROBIOLOGY/*PATHOLOGY  AIDS
       Dementia Complex/PATHOLOGY  Base Sequence  Blotting, Southern
       Brain/MICROBIOLOGY/*PATHOLOGY  DNA Primers  DNA, Viral/*ANALYSIS
       Ganglia, Spinal/MICROBIOLOGY/PATHOLOGY  Human  HIV Antigens/*ANALYSIS
       Macrophages/*PATHOLOGY  Molecular Sequence Data  Necrosis  Polymerase
       Chain Reaction  Spinal Cord/*MICROBIOLOGY/*PATHOLOGY/ULTRASTRUCTURE
       Spinal Cord Diseases/MICROBIOLOGY/*PATHOLOGY  Support, U.S. Gov't,
       P.H.S.  Vacuoles/*PATHOLOGY/ULTRASTRUCTURE  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).