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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jan 22.
Published in final edited form as: J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2013 Mar 1;8(3):621–642. doi: 10.1007/s11481-013-9443-y

Figure 2. Postulated mechanisms by which dopamine increases CNS inflammation and contributes to HAND.

Figure 2

Drug abuse increases extracellular dopamine in the CNS. Dopamine, alone or with chemokines, increases the transmigration of CD14+CD16+ monocytes across the BBB and may cause T cell influx into the CNS. Elevated dopamine increases HIV replication in macrophages and dysregulates production of cytokines and chemokines. Macrophage and T cell functions are also altered. All of these effects increase neuroinflammation and contribute to HAND.