Effects of human immunodeficiency virus and methamphetamine on cerebral metabolites measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopy

• Published in: Journal of neurovirology 2007-04, Vol.13 (2), p.150-159
• Main Authors: Taylor, Michael J, Schweinsburg, Brian C, Alhassoon, Omar M, Gongvatana, Assawin, Brown, Gregory G, Young-Casey, Corinna, Letendre, Scott L, Grant, Igor, the HNRC Group
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aspartic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Aspartic Acid - analysis; Aspartic Acid - metabolism; Basal Ganglia - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - metabolism; Brain Diseases - etiology; Brain Diseases - metabolism; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Central Nervous System Stimulants - adverse effects; Choline - analysis; Choline - metabolism; Creatine - analysis; Creatine - metabolism; Female; Frontal Lobe - metabolism; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - virology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Inositol - analysis; Inositol - metabolism; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Medical sciences; Methamphetamine - adverse effects; Nervous system; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Viral diseases of the nervous system; Viral Load
• ISSN: 1355-0284; 1538-2443
• DOI: 10.1080/13550280701194230

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and methamphetamine (METH) use disorders are associated with cerebral dysfunction. To determine whether these effects were evident on in vivo neuroimaging, quantitative, single voxel magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy was used to assess frontal white matter, frontal gray matter, and basal ganglia in 40 HIV+/METH+, 66 HIV+/METH−, 48 HIV−/METH+, and 51 HIV-/METH- participants. HIV was associated with lower N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in frontal white and frontal gray matter but METH was not associated with cerebral metabolite differences in any region. Among HIV+ individuals, lower CD4 counts and higher plasma HIV viral loads were associated with lower NAA in frontal gray matter and basal ganglia. The relationship between detectable plasma HIV viral load and NAA in frontal white matter was significantly stronger in the HIV+/METH+ group, compared to HIV+/METH-. Higher detectable plasma HIV viral load was significantly associated with higher myo-inositol (MI) in frontal white and gray matter for HIV+/METH+, but not HIV+/METH−. For the HIV−/METH+ group, lifetime duration of METH use was associated with higher choline levels in frontal gray matter and higher MI levels in basal ganglia. Our findings are consistent with significant disruption of neuronal integrity in the frontal lobes of HIV-infected individuals. Although METH was not associated with cerebral metabolite levels, other findings suggested that METH use did affect the brain. For example, the relationship between detectable plasma HIV viral load and NAA levels was limited to HIV+/METH+ individuals. This evidence indicates when HIV is poorly suppressed, METH may modify the effects of the virus on neuronal integrity.