Active clinical trials for "HIV Infections"

HIV-infected patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy demonstrate metabolic abnormalities that may predispose them to cardiovascular disease. In HIV-infected patients we will investigate progression rates of cardiovascular disease and assess whether these progression rates are predicted by increased inflammatory indices.

This observational study is supposed to assess (under conditions of clinical practice in daily routine) whether treatment with Aptivus (tipranavir) in combination with low-dose Norvir (ritonavir) will durably suppress viral load and may achieve suppression of viral load below the limit of detection.

The purpose of this study is to collect blood samples from HIV infected individuals for use in future genetic studies.

This is a long-term follow-up study of people who are identified during acute or recent HIV infection and are being followed at clinical research sites associated with the Acute HIV Infection and Early Disease Research Program (AIEDRP).

While most people with HIV experience significant destruction of their immune systems, some people appear to have preserved immune function and can control the virus without drugs. Early treatment with anti-HIV drugs may help preserve the immune system, allowing it to control the virus once the drugs are stopped. This study will evaluate the immune system response of HIV infected people who are treated with anti-HIV drugs soon after being infected.

This protocol is a study of HIV+ young people who were identified as having certain HIV-1 specific T-cell responses and genetic markers while previously enrolled in the 5-year longitudinal adolescent study, "REACH." Blood samples will be collected, a medical and medication history and physical examination will be performed every 6 months for a total of 2 years.

This study will evaluate how HIV infection, including CD4 cell count and viral load, affects the patient's ability to produce antibodies in response to vaccination with the influenza (flu) vaccine. Earlier studies have shown that people with HIV infection do not respond as well as healthy subjects to flu vaccine; that is, they don't make as many antibodies in response to the vaccine. Before the use of current anti-HIV medications, antibodies made to flu vaccination in HIV-positive individuals was related to their CD4 cell count. This trial will examine how CD4 counts and the amount of virus in the blood affect how much and what kind of antibodies the body makes to the flu vaccine. HIV-infected patients and healthy normal volunteers between 18 and 60 years of age may be eligible for this study. Healthy subjects will serve as controls to make sure the flu vaccine works (i.e., stimulates production of enough antibody to protect against the flu), and to compare the amount of antibodies made by HIV-positive and HIV-negative people. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and blood tests (see below). Women who are able to have children will have a pregnancy test. Pregnant women are excluded from the study. Participants will undergo the following procedures: Blood drawing for the following tests: Routine tests (complete blood count, kidney and liver functions, electrolyte levels). CD4 cell count. HLA typing (a genetic marker of the immune system) if it has not already been done at the NIH. This test may be used to try to identify factors associated with the rate of progression of HIV disease or related conditions. Determining HLA type is necessary to be able to perform certain research studies. Some HLA types have been associated with an increased risk of certain diseases like arthritis and other rheumatologic problems. Viral load (HIV-infected patients only). Influenza antibody levels. B cell levels. Flu vaccination Follow-up visits on days, 7, 28, and 54 after vaccination for the following: Review of any illnesses or fever. Review of medications, if any changes were made. Repeat blood tests.

This study will evaluate the safety of and immune response to a new HIV vaccine. The vaccine in this trial uses pieces of HIV DNA and HIV proteins. The vaccine itself cannot cause HIV infection or AIDS.

This study will use the NIH-sponsored Women and Infants Transmission Study (WITS) and the Pediatric Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Complications of Vertically Transmitted HIV Infection (P2C2) HIV-infected pediatric cohorts to determine how left ventricular (LV) function (particularly fractional shortening and contractility) and structure (particularly wall thickness and mass) are affected by cumulative intensity of exposure to highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART).

Understanding whether or not viral replication occurs in the brain during chronic untreated HIV-1 infection is of undeniable importance, and has implications for treatment and research priorities. Evidence suggests that viral replication in the CNS occurs at the extremes of HIV-1 disease. Brain involvement has been reported during acute infection, and there is convincing evidence of CNS viral replication during HIV-associated dementia (HAD) and advanced AIDS. Some human and primate data suggest that viral RNA and proteins may be absent from brains of some individuals with chronic untreated HIV-1 infection despite abundant proviral DNA. However, the extent of viral replication in the brain is not known for most of the 42 million people worldwide living with untreated HIV-1 infection. Why is viral replication in the brain such a pivotal issue? Microglial cells and macrophages are primary targets for intrathecal HIV-1 replication, and this can promote neuronal injury through direct effects of gp120 and tat, and indirect induction of toxic mediators. Low-grade injury over years or decades would likely be deleterious, particularly as the population ages. Because treatment guidelines allow systemic HIV-1 replication to continue until CD4+ T cell counts decline considerably, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not recommended for many persons living with HIV. Demonstrating replication in the brain during chronic HIV-1 infection may affect treatment strategies and encourage investigation. Identifying factors that modulate intrathecal viral replication is equally important. Anti-HIV-1 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) partially control systemic viral replication and delay disease progression. Although available data has been provocative, the role of anti-HIV CTL in the CNS has received little attention. To fill this gap we will examine relationships between intrathecal viral replication, CTL responses, and glial activation/proliferation during HIV-1 infection. These studies will be relevant not only to AIDS but to other inflammatory diseases of the CNS as well.