[Hypoglycorrhachia as an early sign of central nervous system infection caused by HIV]. / La ipoglicorrachia quale possibile indice precoce di infezione del sistema nervoso centrale da parte dell'HIV.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSP) glucose values were measured in 37 HIV-positive patients with neurologic symptoms and in 35 HIV-negative controls affected by bacterial or viral meningo-encephalitis (ME). Low CSF glucose values were found more frequently in HIV+ patients (49% of cases) than in ME patients (14%). CSF/serum ratios for glucose were also significantly lower in HIV +. Mean serum glucose did not differ between the two groups. Since HIV is a strongly neurotropic and infects early the endothelial cells of the brain capillaris, where glucose is actively carried from plasma to CSP, it is hypothesized that low CSF glucose in HIV-infected patients with neurological symptoms might be an early sign of CNS invasion by the virus.