Lack of association of HIV-1 biological or molecular properties with neurotropism for brain cells

Abstract

Despite HAART, a significant number of HIV-1-infected patients develop neurological complications. However, the presence of specific neurotropic HIV-1 strains, the extent of viral replication in the brain, and the type of cells infected remain controversial issues. To address this controversy we have analyzed different V3 loop sequences of viral isolates from four vertically HIV-1-infected children who developed HIV-1-related encephalopathy. Moreover, we have determined that some biological and molecular properties of HIV-1 might contribute to AIDS neurological dysfunctions. We detected very different HIV-1 isolates (X4 and R5) in the brain despite no great differences in clinical, pathological, or immunological parameters. In vitro, no differences in replicative competence in glial or neuroblastoma cells were observed between virus isolated from the blood of children with or without clinical neurological symptoms. The expression of both CXCR4 and CCR5 RNAs was observed in the brain independently of HIV-1 infection and viral strain predominant in this location. Our results failed to show a particular phenotypic property of the HIV-1 virus that might explain its neurovirulence and/or neurotropism.