A 42-year-old man with AIDS dementia complex dies of respiratory insufficiency secondary to Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Examination of the brain at autopsy reveals mild cerebral atrophy, with...

A 42-year-old man with AIDS dementia complex dies of respiratory insufficiency secondary to Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Examination of the brain at autopsy reveals mild cerebral atrophy, with dilation of the lateral ventricles. Which of the following best explains the pathogenesis of neuronal injury in this patient?

(A) Accumulation of lysosomal storage material

(B) Apoptosis of oligodendrocytes

(C) Lytic infection of neurons by HIV

(D) Necrotizing vasculitis that results in multiple cerebral infarcts

(E) Release of neurotoxic cytokines from macrophages