Home › Research › Caregiving
Levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in cerebrospinal fluid correlate with AIDS dementia stage
Brew BJ, Pemberton L, Cunningham P, Law MG.. The Journal of infectious diseases, 1997-04-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The relationship between the presence and severity of AIDS dementia complex (ADC) and the levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were assessed. Nineteen patients with ADC (stages 1-3), 6 without ADC (group 1), and 10 (group 2) without ADC but with cryptococcal meningitis or progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy were studied. There was a significant relationship between increasing CSF virus burden and ADC severity (P = .0006) but not with plasma burden and ADC severity. In group 2, CSF HIV-1 RNA levels in patients with cryptococcal meningitis were elevated. These results show that CSF HIV-1 RNA concentrations correlate well with ADC severity but may also be increased by central nervous system infections, such as cryptococcal meningitis.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Brew, B. J., Pemberton, L., Cunningham, P., & Law, M. G. (1997). Levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in cerebrospinal fluid correlate with AIDS dementia stage. The Journal of infectious diseases. https://doi.org/10.1086/514001
Vancouver
Brew BJ, Pemberton L, Cunningham P, Law MG. Levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in cerebrospinal fluid correlate with AIDS dementia stage. The Journal of infectious diseases. 1997. doi:10.1086/514001. PMID: 9086160.
BibTeX
@article{brew1997-9086160,
author = {Brew, B. J. and Pemberton, L. and Cunningham, P. and Law, M. G.},
title = {{Levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in cerebrospinal fluid correlate with AIDS dementia stage}},
journal = {The Journal of infectious diseases},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1086/514001},
pmid = {9086160},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1086/514001}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- There was a significant relationship between increasing CSF virus burden and ADC severity (P = .0006) but not with plasma burden and ADC severity.
- These results show that CSF HIV-1 RNA concentrations correlate well with ADC severity but may also be increased by central nervous system infections, such as cryptococcal meningitis.
Why it matters
In 19 patients with AIDS dementia complex, higher HIV-1 RNA levels in cerebrospinal fluid were significantly related to more severe dementia, while plasma levels were not. However, cerebrospinal fluid levels can also be raised by central nervous system infections such as cryptococcal meningitis, so the measure is not specific.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Caregiving →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of infectious diseases) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Journal of Infectious Diseases: journal h-index 370 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 245 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.9 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Matthew G. Law: h-index 94 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | UNSW Sydney: institution h-index 1,101 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9086160) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1086/514001
- PubMed: 9086160
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Journal of Infectious Diseases →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
4 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Caregiving
Also tagged “cerebrospinal”
820 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cerebrospinal”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 820 tagged studies.