Although our study is limited because we did not evaluate the putative neurodegeneration associated with HIV-1 Tat induced glia-mediated neuroinflammation, our findings are coherent with both clinical and in vitro data showing a significant cognitive decline in HIV-infected even in the absence of viral replication, or an astrocytes-mediated neuronal degeneration, respectively3. The gene discussed is TAT; the disease is Mental deterioration.