Brain-reactive antibodies and the AIDS dementia complex.

To determine the role of autoantibodies in the development of the AIDS dementia complex, brain-reactive antibodies (BRAs) were assayed in 30 sera samples obtained from AIDS patients. Eighteen samples were obtained from AIDS patients with neuropsychological complications, and 12 samples were obtained from patients without any neuropsychological involvement. BRAs were analyzed using strips of nitrocellulose electroblots as a source of antigen, and were prepared from a sample of normal human parahippocampal tissue subjected to SDS-PAGE. Fourteen of 18 patients with neuropsychological complications and 4 of 12 patients without such complications were positive for BRAs to a protein with Mr of 45,000-50,000.