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The Role of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Vasculopathy in the Etiology of Stroke

Benjamin, LA; Allain, TJ; Mzinganjira, H; Connor, MD; Smith, C; Lucas, S; Joekes, E; ... Solomon, T; + view all (2017) The Role of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Vasculopathy in the Etiology of Stroke. Journal of Infectious Diseases , 216 (5) pp. 545-553. 10.1093/infdis/jix340. Green open access

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a recognized risk factor for stroke among young populations, but the exact mechanisms are poorly understood. We studied the clinical, radiologic, and histologic features of HIV-related ischemic stroke to gain insight into the disease mechanisms. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, in-depth analysis of adult ischemic stroke patients presenting to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi, in 2011. RESULTS: We recruited 64 HIV-infected and 107 HIV-uninfected patients. Those with HIV were significantly younger (P < .001) and less likely to have established vascular risk factors. Patients with HIV were more likely to have large artery disease (21% vs 10%; P < .001). The commonest etiology was HIV-associated vasculopathy (24 [38%]), followed by opportunistic infections (16 [25%]). Sixteen of 64 (25%) had a stroke soon after starting antiretroviral therapy (ART), suggesting an immune reconstitution–like syndrome. In this group, CD4+ T-lymphocyte count was low, despite a significantly lower HIV viral load in those recently started on treatment (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-associated vasculopathy and opportunistic infections are common causes of HIV-related ischemic stroke. Furthermore, subtypes of HIV-associated vasculopathy may manifest as a result of an immune reconstitution–like syndrome after starting ART. A better understanding of this mechanism may point toward new treatments.

Type: Article
Title: The Role of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Vasculopathy in the Etiology of Stroke
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix340
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jix340
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: stroke, vasculopathy, HIV, Africa, immune reconstitution syndrome
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Lab for Molecular Cell Bio MRC-UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Infection and Immunity
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1575630
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