HIV-associated neurodegeneration and neuroimmunity: multivoxel MR spectroscopy study in drug-naive and treated patients

The aim of this study was to test neurobiochemical changes in normal appearing brain tissue in HIV+ patients receiving and not receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) and healthy controls, using multivoxel MR spectroscopy (mvMRS). We performed long- and short-echo 3D mvMRS in 110 neuroasymptomatic subjects (32 HIV+ subjects on cART, 28 HIV+ therapy-na < ve subjects and 50 healthy controls) on a 3T MR scanner, targeting frontal and parietal supracallosal subcortical and deep white matter and cingulate gyrus (NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and mI/Cr ratios were analysed). The statistical value was set at p < 0.05. Considering differences between HIV-infected and healthy subjects, there was a significant decrease in the NAA/Cr ratio in HIV+ subjects in all observed locations, an increase in mI/Cr levels in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), and no significant differences in Cho/Cr ratios, except in ACG, where the increase showed trending towards significance in HIV+ patients. There were no significant differences between HIV+ patients on and without cART in all three ratios. Neuronal loss and dysfunction affects the whole brain volume in HIV-infected patients. Unfortunately, cART appears to be ineffective in halting accelerated neurodegenerative process induced by HIV but is partially effective in preventing glial proliferation. aEuro cent This is the first multivoxel human brain 3T MRS study in HIV. aEuro cent All observed areas of the brain are affected by neurodegenerative process. aEuro cent Cingulate gyrus and subcortical white matter are most vulnerable to HIV-induced neurodegeneration. aEuro cent cART is effective in control of inflammation but ineffective in preventing neurodegeneration.