Involvement of dopamine in the progression of AIDS Dementia Complex

HIV compromises immunological functions. Immune responses are regulated to a great extent by several molecules such as cytokines, neurotransmitters and hormones which interact with different immune effector cells and ultimately mediate the homeostatic responses to disease. Among these mediators, dopamine plays an important role. In this article we review AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC) and describe lines of evidence implying increased dopamine availability as a potent mediator of neurologic deficits in HIV infection and a factor exhibiting adverse effects on the progression of ADC.