Cerebrospinal fluid tau protein is not elevated in HIV-associated neurologic disease in humans. HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center Group (HNRC).

We measured the concentrations of the neuron-specific protein, tau, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 32 neurologically characterized HIV-infected (HIVpos) subjects and nine matched seronegative (HIVneg) controls using a sensitive ELISA assay. Of 32 HIVpos subjects, nine had HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, and nine had clinically diagnosed peripheral neuropathies. CSF tau levels in subjects with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders were similar to those in HIVneg subjects (185 +/- 83 vs. 223 +/- 106 pg/ml; P = 57). CSF tau levels in HIVpos subjects with peripheral neuropathies did not differ from those without neuropathies (320 +/- 190 vs. 251 +/- 185; P = 23). In summary, CSF tau levels were not elevated in patients with HIV-associated neurologic disease.