Dj. Meyerhoff et al., DEEP GRAY-MATTER STRUCTURES IN HIV-INFECTION - A PROTON MR SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY, American journal of neuroradiology, 17(5), 1996, pp. 973-978
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Clinical Neurology","Radiology,Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
infection on proton metabolites in brain regions carrying the heavies
t HIV load. METHODS: We used two-dimensional proton MR spectroscopy wi
th a preselected volume at the level of the third ventricle to measure
N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and metabolites containing choline (Cho), an
d creatine (Cr) in the basal ganglia of eight cognitively impaired sub
jects who were seropositive for HIV and eight control subjects who wer
e seronegative for HIV. Results are expressed as metabolite ratios. RE
SULTS: In the thalamus and lenticular nuclei, NAA/Cr was not different
between the two groups. NAA/Cho was decreased in both the thalamus an
d lenticular nuclei of the HIV-positive group compared with the HIV-ne
gative group. Cho/Cr tended to be increased in both the thalamus and l
enticular nuclei of the HIV-positive group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings
suggest no NAA differences between groups, consistent with negligible
neuron loss in the region of the brain that carries the heaviest HIV l
oad. The trends toward increased Cho/Cr are consistent with histopatho
logic findings of infiltration of subcortical gray matter structures w
ith foamy macrophages, microglia, and lymphocytes, or possibly with gl
iosis.