Preliminary In Vivo Evidence of Reduced Synaptic Density in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Despite Antiretroviral Therapy.
Julian J WeissRachela CalviMika NaganawaTakuya ToyonagaShelli F FarhadianMichelle ChintanapholJennifer ChiarellaMing-Qiang ZhengJim RopchanYiyun HuangRobert H PietrzakRichard E CarsonSerena SpudichPublished in: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (2021)
In a pilot study, SV2A PET imaging reveals reduced synaptic density in older male PLWH on ART compared to HIV-uninfected in the frontostriatalthalamic circuit and other cortical areas. Larger studies controlling for factors in addition to age are needed to determine whether differences are attributable to HIV or comorbidities in PLWH. SV2A imaging is a promising biomarker for studies of neuropathogenesis and therapeutic interventions in HIV.