Elevated cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light protein concentrations predict the development of AIDS dementia complex.

• The light subunit of neurofilament protein (NFL) is a sensitive indicator of central nervous system axonal injury. We retrospectively identified 9 subjects participating in a longitudinal cohort study who developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome dementia complex (ADC) and who had had a lumbar puncture performed within 2 years before presentation. Elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NFL concentrations were found in 7 (78%) of the 9 case patients who later developed ADC, compared with 9 (33%) of 27 CD4 cell count-matched HIV-1-infected control subjects. By contrast, no differences were found in CSF HIV-1 RNA or neopterin concentrations between the 2 groups. CSF NFL may prove to be a useful predictive marker for ADC.

Keyword

AIDS Dementia Complex

diagnosis

etiology

physiopathology

Biological Markers

cerebrospinal fluid

Cohort Studies

Female

HIV Infections

complications

physiopathology

HIV-1

genetics

Humans

Longitudinal Studies

Male

Middle Aged

Neopterin

cerebrospinal fluid

Neurofilament Proteins

cerebrospinal fluid

Predictive Value of Tests

RNA

Viral

blood

cerebrospinal fluid

Retrospective Studies

Time Factors

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)