QUANTITATION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS IN BRAINS OF DEMENTED AND NONDEMENTED PATIENTS WITH ACQUIRED-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-SYNDROME

We measured human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA in brains of 15 pat ients who died with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). All had been followed prospectively prior to death; 7 were demented and 8 wer e not demented. HIV was detected in 13 of 15 brains by polymerase chai n reaction (PCR) and in the remaining 2 by presence of viral RNA or vi ral antigen. Quantitative PCR showed a wide range in amounts of HIV DN A with no significant difference between brains of demented and nondem ented patients. These results suggest that qualitative features of the virus, rather than increased virus load per se, may be responsible fo r the clinical differences between HIV-infected patients with and with out dementia.