Neuroimaging studies have focused mainly on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults or younger children, showing abnormal brain structures. In this study, we used voxel-based morphometry to investigate the brain integrity of HIV vertically infected adolescents. Twenty-five HIV vertically infected (HIV+) adolescents and 33 HIV-exposed, but uninfected (HIV−) and demographically matched controls participated in this study. T1 high-resolution anatomical magnetic resonance imaging images were obtained and segmented into gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) segments. Then, population templates were derived from the entire imaging dataset using the diffeomorphic anatomical registration through exponentiated lie algebra (DARTEL) technique. Between-group GM and WM maps were contrasted using independent two-sample t-tests, with age and sex as nuisance regressors of no interest. Significant effects were identified using voxel-wise p < .001 and cluster-level p < .05 with a family-wise error correction. Whole brain volume between the groups did not demonstrate a significant difference. Relative to HIV− controls, the HIV+ adolescents demonstrated less GM in the bilateral cerebellum, right pallidum, right calcarine, left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and right superior occipital lobe. HIV+ adolescents also demonstrated less WM volume in the bilateral cerebellum, right brainstem, and left occipital lobe. Furthermore, the volume of the ACC was positively correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the CD4 cell counts in the HIV+ adolescents. The age of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) onset was positively correlated with GM volume in the right temporal lobe, left occipital lobe, and left precentral gyrus. In HIV+ adolescents, a pattern of less WM density and altered GM and WM volume suggests that early HIV infection combined with neurotoxicity effect of early HAART, a lack of viral control may have a significant effect on the brain structural integrity. The process of corpus callosum formation in the corpus callosum and the frontal WM is more susceptible to HIV infection. Altered ACC integrity may represent a promising biomarker of cognitive dysfunction following HIV infection.

中文翻译：

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HIV垂直感染青少年大脑结构的研究

神经影像学研究主要集中在人类免疫缺陷病毒 (HIV) 感染的成人或幼儿，显示出异常的大脑结构。在这项研究中，我们使用基于体素的形态测量学来调查 HIV 垂直感染青少年的大脑完整性。25 名 HIV 垂直感染 (HIV+) 青少年和 33 名 HIV 暴露但未感染 (HIV-) 和人口统计学匹配的对照参加了这项研究。获得 T1 高分辨率解剖磁共振成像图像并将其分割为灰质 (GM) 和白质 (WM) 段。然后，通过指数谎言代数 (DARTEL) 技术使用微分形态解剖配准从整个成像数据集导出种群模板。使用独立的两个样本t对比组间 GM 和 WM 地图- 测试，年龄和性别作为无关紧要的干扰回归量。使用体素p  < .001 和集群级别p确定了显着影响 < .05 与家庭方面的错误更正。各组之间的全脑体积没有表现出显着差异。相对于 HIV- 对照，HIV+ 青少年在双侧小脑、右侧苍白球、右侧距状体、左侧前扣带回皮层 (ACC) 和右侧上枕叶中表现出较少的 GM。HIV+ 青少年的双侧小脑、右脑干和左枕叶的 WM 体积也较小。此外，ACC 的体积与 HIV+ 青少年的简易精神状态检查 (MMSE) 和 CD4 细胞计数呈正相关。高效抗逆转录病毒治疗 (HAART) 的开始年龄与右侧颞叶、左侧枕叶和左侧中央前回的 GM 体积呈正相关。在 HIV+ 青少年中，WM 密度较低和 GM 和 WM 体积改变的模式表明，早期 HIV 感染与早期 HAART 的神经毒性作用相结合，缺乏病毒控制可能对大脑结构完整性产生重大影响。胼胝体和额叶 WM 的胼胝体形成过程更容易感染 HIV。改变的 ACC 完整性可能代表 HIV 感染后认知功能障碍的一个有希望的生物标志物。