Neurological Symptoms during Primary Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection Correlate with High Levels of HIV RNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid

This analysis involves 22 patients with diagnosed symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Neurologic symptoms were present in 11 patients, ranging from severe and persistent headache to clinical signs suggestive of meningitis. A strong correlation between neurological symptoms and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical infectious diseases 2000-06, Vol.30 (6), p.962-965
Main Authors: Tambussi, Giuseppe, Gori, Andrea, Capiluppi, Brunella, Balotta, Claudia, Papagno, Laura, Morandini, Barbara, Di Pietro, Massimo, Ciuffreda, Donatella, Saracco, Alberto, Lazzarin, Adriano
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AIDS/HIV
Biological and medical sciences
Brief Reports
Central nervous system
Central Nervous System Viral Diseases - immunology
Central Nervous System Viral Diseases - physiopathology
Central Nervous System Viral Diseases - virology
Cerebrospinal fluid
HIV
HIV 1
HIV infections
HIV Infections - immunology
HIV Infections - physiopathology
HIV Infections - virology
HIV-1 - genetics
HIV-1 - isolation & purification
HIV-1 - physiology
Human immunodeficiency virus
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infections
Infectious diseases
Medical sciences
Neurologic manifestations
Polymerase Chain Reaction
RNA
RNA, Viral - blood
RNA, Viral - cerebrospinal fluid
Symptoms
Viral diseases
Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
Viral Load
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This analysis involves 22 patients with diagnosed symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Neurologic symptoms were present in 11 patients, ranging from severe and persistent headache to clinical signs suggestive of meningitis. A strong correlation between neurological symptoms and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) viral load was found. The mean CSF HIV ribonucleic acid (RNA) level was 4.12 log for patients with neurological symptoms and 2.58 log for patients without neurological symptoms (P < .00001). Plasma viral load alone does not correlate or predict central nervous system (CNS) involvement. In our sample of patients, HIV RNA levels could be detected in most patients regardless of the presence of neurological symptoms. Moreover, early treatment including drugs with high levels of penetration in the CNS must be considered for patients with primary HIV infection.
ISSN:1058-4838
1537-6591
DOI:10.1086/313810