       Document 1045
 DOCN  M9621045
 TI    Six billion neurons lost in AIDS. A stereological study of the
       neocortex.
 DT    9602
 AU    Oster S; Christoffersen P; Gundersen HJ; Nielsen JO; Pedersen C;
       Pakkenberg B; Neurological Research Laboratory, Kommunehospitalet,
       Copenhagen,; Denmark.
 SO    APMIS. 1995 Jul-Aug;103(7-8):525-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96033957
 AB    Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV1) is neurotropic. One of the
       morphological changes that is seen in patients with acquired
       immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is cerebral atrophy affecting various
       structures including the neocortex. The cause of atrophy is not known.
       The total number of neocortical neurons was estimated in formalin fixed
       brains of 12 males with AIDS and 12 male controls matched for age and
       height. The mean number of neocortical neurons was 16.0 x 10(9)
       (coefficient of variation = 0.11) in the AIDS patients compared with
       21.9 x 10(9) (coefficient of variation = 0.22) in the controls, a
       difference of approximately six billion (p < 0.005, 2-tailed). The
       global neuronal loss was 37%, and affected all four neocortical lobes.
       Ten patients did not have a history of central nervous system symptoms;
       two patients had a history of dementia. The number of neurons in the
       AIDS cases was not associated with dementia. AIDS is the first disease
       in which a global loss of neocortical neurons has been demonstrated
       using unbiased stereological methods. The loss of more than one third of
       the neurons may partly explain the cortical atrophy. Focal neuron loss
       has been reported by several authors, but none have been based on
       unbiased methods. In this group of AIDS patients the severe loss of
       neurons did not correspond to neurological deficits.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/DRUG THERAPY/*PATHOLOGY  Adult  Aged
       Cell Count  Cell Death  Cerebral Cortex/*PATHOLOGY  Human  Male  Middle
       Age  Neurons/PATHOLOGY  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

