Abstract :
Since past 10 years, biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases are becoming advantageous and have
great impact on clinical trial. Neuropsychopathological changes in the central nervous system (CNS) and
progressive neuronal dysfunction leading to cognitive and behavioural changes, is a common phenomenon
in almost all the neuro-degenerative disorders. The deadly virus HIV-1 causes HIV associated dementia.
Although disease severity has been reduced by the successful introduction of combined antiretroviral
therapy (CART), complete eradication of HIV-1 has not been possible, especially from the central nervous
system (CNS). Despite this success in post highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) era, milder forms
of neurological diseases remain common in HIV infection. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the connective
source of information for HIV infection and disease severity between systemic and CNS infection. CSF
biomarkers represent as valuable objective approach to understand the evolving patho-biology of HIV
associated neurocognitive disorders.
Clinical implications : 1. Biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) act as an indicator in the neurological
disease progression in CNS and correlate with disease status, 2. Novel CSF biomarkers help in
distinguishing drug na¨?ve HIV positive subjects with various type of opportunistic infections (OIs)
such as toxoplasmosis, cryptococcus meningitis and tuberculosis meningitis, 3. It compares the minimal
neurological scores (less diseases condition) with that of HIV uninfected individuals
Keyword :
Biomarkers, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), Central nervous system (CNS), HIV associated dementia (HAD).