ABSTRACT
Human immunodefi ciency virus type-1 (HIV-1) causes immune suppression due to the depletion of regulatory CD4+ T-lymphocytes. HIV-1 pathology is complex and affects the normal function of multiple biological systems by increasing susceptibility to opportunistic infections and malignancies (Costiniuk and Angel 2012, Wyatt 2012, Curry 2013). The central nervous system (CNS) complications of HIV-1 remain an area of intense investigation due to a spectrum of neuropsychological impairments, generally classifi ed as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), which are commonly associated with advanced immune suppression (Peluso et al. 2013). Highly active anti-retroviral therapy, also known as combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART), is currently used to manage HIV-1 infection. Although cART effectively prolongs the survival of HIV-infected patients by attenuating viral replication and assuaging immune suppression, the prevalence of HAND has not been signifi cantly
1 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 North Broad Street, Medical Education and Research Building, 8th Floor, Room 880A, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140 (USA).
