Short Communication: Absence of HIV Infection in the Choroid Plexus of Two Patients Who Died Rapidly with HIV-Associated Dementia

Absence of HIV infection of the choroid plexus (CPx) and macrophages in choroidal stroma was observed in two HIV-infected individuals who died 7 weeks and 12 months following the onset of HIV encephalitis. In contrast, the profound macrophage-related pathology associated with HIV infection presented in other neural tissue from 48 brain regions (seven CPx) was analyzed. These data suggest that HIV entry to the CNS may be independent of the CPx. It also emphasizes that the CPx is unlikely to harbor a significant reservoir of HIV in patients who rapidly progress to dementia.