Ute Feger1, Mary Ricardo- Dukelow2, Thomas Ernst1, Vivek Nerurkar3, Esther Volper3, Steve Buchthal1, Helenna Nakama1, Linda Chang1
1University of Hawaii, JABSOM, Neuroscience and MR Research Program, Honolulu, HI, USA; 2University of Hawaii, JABSOM, Neuroscience and MR Research Program, Honolulu, HI, USA; 3University of Hawaii, JABSOM, Asia-Pacific Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Honolulu, HI, USA
Decline in cognitive function is one of the known complications of HIV infection.1H MR spectroscopy and cytokine measurement in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were performed on 27 HIV subjects and 7 seronegative controls. HIV subjects with cognitive impairment (HIV+CI) showed higher levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) in CSF and higher myo-inositol in the parietal grey matter than HIV subjects with normal cognition and controls. Moreover, CSF IL-8 correlated with brain myo-inositol levels in HIV+CI, suggesting astroglial and microglial activation. CSF IL-8 measurements and brain MRS may be used as combined biomarkers for disease prognosis and progression.