Alzheimer Dementia in People Living With HIV

Andrea Calcagno; Luigi Celani; Mattia Trunfio; Giancarlo Orofino; Daniele Imperiale; Cristiana Atzori; Vincenzo Arena; Gabriella d'Ettorre; Giovanni Guaraldi; Magnus Gisslen; Giovanni Di Perri

doi:10.1212/CPJ.0000000000001060

Alzheimer Dementia in People Living With HIV

Neurol Clin Pract. 2021 Oct;11(5):e627-e633. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000001060.

Affiliation

¹ Unit of Infectious Diseases (C. Andrea, MT, GDP), Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Italy; Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases (LC, GE), Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; "Divisione A" Unit of Infectious Diseases (GO), Ospedale Amedeo di Savoia, ASL Città di Torino, Italy; Unit of Neurology (DI, C. Atzori), Ospedale Maria Vittoria, ASL Città di Torino, Italy; AFFIDEA Irmet PET/CT Center (VA), Torino, Italy; Department of Surgical (GG), Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy; Department of Infectious Diseases (MG), Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; and Region Västra Götaland (MG), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

Objective: Given the aging of people living with HIV (PLWH) and the high prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, we aimed at describing the clinical, instrumental, and CSF features of PLWH diagnosed with Alzheimer dementia (AD).

Methods: The databases of 3 large Italian outpatient clinics taking care of more than 9,000 PLWH were searched for the diagnosis of AD. After obtaining patients' or their next of kin's consent for publication, anonymous data were collected in an excel spreadsheet and described. Routinely collected CSF biomarkers and radiologic imaging results were recorded whether available.

Results: Four patients were included in this case series who were diagnosed with AD aged between 60 and 74 years. All participants were on highly active antiretroviral therapy and showed nondetectable serum HIV RNA. Memory impairment was the most prominent cognitive feature. The diagnosis was obtained considering the exclusion of other potential causes, MRI and fluorodeoxyglucose-PET features, and, in (in 2/4), CSF AD biomarkers levels. In 1 patient, longitudinal CSF tau/p-tau increased, and beta-amyloid_1-42 decreased over time despite antiretroviral therapy containing nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

Conclusions: In older PLWH cognitive symptoms may represent the onset of AD: a multidisciplinary team may be needed for reaching a likely in vivo diagnosis.