Upregulation of glial clusterin in brains of patients with AIDs.

Since clusterin (CLU) production in reactive astrocytes may be neuroprotective, we examined its distribution in AIDS brains where brain injury and reactive astrocytosis are common. The relative area and number of CLU-positive astrocytes, as well as their percent total of all white matter glia, significantly increased in AIDS brains with and without HIV encephalitis (P<0.05). Proliferation markers were absent. In contrast, the relative area and number of GFAP-positive astrocytes and their percent of all white matter glia, increased in some cases but the mean increases were not significant. Clusterin is sensitive marker of glial reactivity in AIDS brains and its enhanced expression was not dependent on increases in GFAP.