Damage to jejunal intrinsic autonomic nerves in HIV infection

Jejunal biopsies from 11 HIV-infected male homosexuals, without secondary enteropathogen infection, were examined at ultrastructural and light microscope level. Subjects were clinically categorized into four groups: asymptomatic (3), AIDS-related complex (4), persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (1), and AIDS (3). All 11 biopsies, including the three from asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals, showed extensive damage to autonomic nerve fibres in the lamina propria. These findings show that HIV infection damages the enteric autonomic nerves. Since asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals had similar damage, this appears to be an early event in the course of HIV infection.