CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID AND NERVE-CONDUCTION ABNORMALITIES IN HIV-POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS

We studied whether there was an association between nerve conduction s tudies (NCS), CSF, and CD4-T lymphocyte parameters in a large cohort o f HIV positive individuals. Two hundred and twenty-eight HIV positive individuals underwent motor and sensory nerve conduction studies, CSF evaluation, peripheral CD4-T lymphocyte count, and neurologic evaluati on to determine the presence or absence of peripheral neuropathy. We c ompared NCS of HIV positive subjects with and without abnormal CSF par ameters in the entire cohort, We also compared CSF parameters in a sub set of CD4-matched patients with and without neuropathy. CSF abnormali ties (in excess of laboratory norms) occured frequently in the entire study group. There was no statistically significant relationship betwe en NCS and CSF parameters, In addition, there was no significiant diff erence in the CSF findings in the group of patients with clinical neur opathy compared to the group without neuropathy. However, there was an association (p < 0.05) between lower CD4 counts and NCS parameters, I n general, abnormal CSF findings are not associated with deteriorating peripheral nerve function in HIV infected patients and are just as li kely to be found in an HIV positive patient whether or not a periphera l neuropathy is present.