Autoradiographic localization of T4 antigen, the HIV receptor, in human brain.

Using a novel autoradiographic technique and a monoclonal antibody to T4, the entry protein for the AIDS virus HIV, we have determined the distribution of T4 in selected areas of the human brain. T4 was found throughout the human brain in a pattern similar to that seen in squirrel monkey and rat, thus demonstrating a conservation of both the antigen and the antigen distribution. T4 was especially abundant in emotion-mediating areas, such as the hippocampus, which are typically enriched with neuropeptide receptors. In addition, several regions of the cerebral cortex were found to have T4 antigen especially in superficial layers. These data suggest that the psychiatric and neuropathological symptoms presented by AIDS patients may be a result of the direct interaction of the AIDS virus with specific areas of the brain.