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Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, microglia and astrocytes in AIDS dementia complex
Seilhean D, Kobayashi K, He Y, Uchihara T, Rosenblum O, Katlama C, Bricaire F, Duyckaerts C et al.. Acta neuropathologica, 1997-05-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The pathogenesis of HIV-associated cognitive changes is poorly understood. Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) have been postulated to contribute to the mechanism of the neurological complications of HIV infection. One of the effects of TNF-alpha is to induce astrocyte proliferation in vitro. The purpose of this study was to look for a correlation between the expression of TNF-alpha, astrogliosis and the degree of cognitive impairment in 12 prospectively assessed AIDS cases without focal brain lesion, 8 of whom were demented. They were compared with 6 control patients without neurological disease. Neuropathological examination showed myelin pallor in 5 of the 8 demented patients. TNF-alpha expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in the midfrontal cortex, subcortical and deep white matter, and basal ganglia. Not only perivascular macrophages but also some microglial and endothelial cells were labeled. Most TNF-alpha-positive cells were in close contact with glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes. They were more numerous than gp41-positive cells. Their density increased with increasing cognitive impairment and in parallel to the astrogliosis in the frontal cortex, basal ganglia and deep white matter. These findings further support the hypotheses that lesions of the deep white matter, driven by TNF-alpha, are associated with cognitive alteration, and that indirect effects of HIV infection in the brain participate in the development of HIV-associated dementia through a diffuse immune activation, mediated by cytokines.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Seilhean, D., Kobayashi, K., He, Y., Uchihara, T., Rosenblum, O., Katlama, C., et al. (1997). Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, microglia and astrocytes in AIDS dementia complex. Acta neuropathologica. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010050646
Vancouver
Seilhean D, Kobayashi K, He Y, Uchihara T, Rosenblum O, Katlama C, et al. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, microglia and astrocytes in AIDS dementia complex. Acta neuropathologica. 1997. doi:10.1007/s004010050646. PMID: 9144590.
BibTeX
@article{seilhean1997-9144590,
author = {Seilhean, D. and Kobayashi, K. and He, Y. and Uchihara, T. and Rosenblum, O. and Katlama, C. and Bricaire, F. and Duyckaerts, C. and others},
title = {{Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, microglia and astrocytes in AIDS dementia complex}},
journal = {Acta neuropathologica},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1007/s004010050646},
pmid = {9144590},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010050646}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- They were compared with 6 control patients without neurological disease.
- These findings further support the hypotheses that lesions of the deep white matter, driven by TNF-alpha, are associated with cognitive alteration, and that indirect effects of HIV infection in the brain participate in the development of HIV-associated dementia through a diffuse immune activation, mediated by cytokines.
Why it matters
In brain tissue from 12 people with AIDS, 8 of whom had dementia, compared with 6 controls, cells producing the inflammatory molecule TNF-alpha became more numerous as cognitive impairment worsened, in parallel with astrocyte activation (astrogliosis). The authors say this supports the idea that TNF-alpha-driven white matter damage and widespread immune activation contribute to HIV-associated dementia. The work concerns HIV-related dementia rather than Alzheimer's.
Study details
- Study designclinical trial
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Acta neuropathologica) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Acta Neuropathologica: journal h-index 287 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “clinical trial”, which our rubric does not rank (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 | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 76 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.5 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Jean‐Jacques Hauw: h-index 81 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9144590) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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