HTLV-III Infection in Brains of Children and Adults with AIDS Encephalopathy

Abstract

Unexplained debilitating dementia or encephalopathy occurs frequently in adults and children with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Brains from 15 individuals with AIDS and encephalopathy were examined by Southern analysis and in situ hybridization for the presence of human T-cell leukemia (lymphotropic) virus type III (HTLV-III), the virus believed to be the causative agent of AIDS. HTLV-III DNA was detected in the brains of five patients, and viral-specific RNA was detected in four of these. In view of these findings and the recent demonstration of morphologic and genetic relatedness between HTLV-III and visna virus, a lentivirus that causes a chronic degenerative neurologic disease in sheep, HTLV-III should be evaluated further as a possible cause of AIDS encephalopathy.

Search for retroviral sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and brain tissue of multiple sclerosis patients

“…In murine leukaemia (14] or visna [25] virus infection of the CNS virus can be found in brain tissue. Similar observations have been made .in HIV infection where viral DNA can be detected in brain material by Southern blotting [22] or PCR [ 15]. If in MS HTL V-I in fection occurs in PMBCs one may expect viral sequences also to be detectable in inflammatory lesions in the CNS of MS patients, but the PCR results were also negative, indicating that HTLV-1 or related virus was not associated with these cases.…”

Lack of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication and accumulation of viral DNA in HIV-1-infected T cells blocked in cell replication

“…The data from molecular studies demonstrate that with APC reverse transcription takes place and unintegrated HIV-1 DNA forms increase during the time of APC treatment and are maintained for long periods of time extrachromosomally. Thus, the results indicate, in contrast to conclusions by others, that accumulation of unintegrated DNA can occur in cells without the need for infectious virus production and re-infection (Besanky et al, 1991 ;Shaw et al, 1985). In concert with other observations, the large quantity of unintegrated viral DNA without evidence of substantial viral protein expression in APC-treated cells correlated directly with cytopathic effects and single cell killing.…”

Asymptomatic Infection of the Central Nervous System by the Macaque Immunosuppressive Type D Retrovirus, SRV-1

“…Central nervous system (CNS) infection by retroviruses has become a topic of great concern due to the recognition of severe neurological sequelae from infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Carne et al, 1985;Ho et al, 1985 ;Levy et al, 1985;Petito et al, 1985;Price et al, 1988;Resnick et al, 1985;Shaw et al, 1985;Vazeux et al, 1988). Encephalopathy and dementia occur frequently in association with HIV infection of the brain (Ho et al, 1987;Price et al, 1988) in children and in adults but many questions remain unanswered about the pathogenesis of this CNS infection in humans.…”