The more important is that difference of HIV-1 gp120, especially cell-tropism may account for the different ability in eliciting secretion of TNF-α and IL-1β, which might supply a novel idea helping understand the pathogenesis of ADC.
The presence of the A allele at the TNF-alpha-308 site was overrepresented among adults with HIV dementia compared to those without dementia (0.28 vs 0.07; OR 5.5; 95% CI 1.8-17.0) and a healthy control population (0.28 vs 0.11).
The interactions between HIV-1- and CMV-infected macrophages and astrocytes lead to upregulation of TNF-alpha and IL-6 and enhancement of productive HIV-1 infection of macrophages and of 'restricted' HIV-1 infection of astrocytes with implications for the pathogenesis of AIDS dementia.
For example, concentration of TNF-alpha is increased in brain tissue of individuals who died with AIDS and correlates with the severity of AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC).
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a candidate human immunodeficiency virus type 1-induced neurotoxin that contributes to the pathogenesis of AIDS dementia complex.