Tes [26,27]. Once infected or activated by HIV- proteins such as gp120 or Tat, microglia begin to excrete endogenous pro-inflammatory cytokines of the M1 subtype [28]. Histopathologically, activated microglia represent a highly accurate correlate to neuronal death and damage in CNS [29]. Severity of dementia in persons with HAD is strongly correlated with the number of activated macrophages and mi
Owed a direct correlation between microglial activation/infection and cognitive decline [19]. Studies have found microglial HIV infection as central in exacerbating HIV dementia [20,21]. Importantly, neuronal dysfunction and death in HIV infection results from cytokine stimulation, but especially several cytokine-mediated apoptotic mechanisms emanating from microglia. Thus microglial cytokine prod