Fig. 1.

Effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and antiretroviral therapy (ART) on blood-brain barrier (BBB), neuron and brain tissue. The brain of healthy children shows intact BBB, and neuron (A). The BBB compromises in HIV infected and ART exposed children, which subsequently leads to brain tissue damage by upregulating the cytokines, pro-inflammatory markers and reactive oxygen species (ROS) (B). BBB is also compromised in children exposed to ART causing neuroinflammation and brain tissue damage (C). More brain tissue damage is obvious in HIV infected and ART exposed children than ART exposed children (B and C).