Active clinical trials for "HIV Infections"

The purpose of this study is to characterize the quality of life (QOL) and longitudinal patterns of change in QOL outcomes in children and youth with HIV infection; to identify demographic, social, disease status, treatment, and health care utilization factors that predict longitudinal changes in outcomes; to develop a conceptual model that characterizes the effects of specific factors that predict longitudinal changes in QOL; and to characterize the influence of HIV symptoms on QOL outcomes in the domains of health perceptions, physical, psychological, and social role functioning.

In clinical trials being conducted throughout the world, pregnant HIV-infected women are given anti-HIV drugs before, during, and after they give birth to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. However, the effects of this anti-HIV treatment on infants is unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, toxicity, and potential side effects of maternal anti-HIV treatment on infants born to these HIV-infected women. Study hypothesis: Specific combination antiretroviral regimens used in clinical trials in diverse areas of the world are safe and well tolerated during pregnancy and breastfeeding periods, and are not associated with adverse side effects to the fetus, neonate, and/or breastfeeding infant. These regimens are associated with reduction of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Some patients with HIV/AIDS suffer from a dangerous viral infection of the retina (and other organs) called cytomegalovirus infection (CMV). The medications currently used to treat CMV all have serious side effects. AIDS patients are prone to this infection because their immune system produces a lower number of CD4+T lymphocytes, the type of blood cells that fight viral infections. Some new HIV medications strengthen the immune system. This study will investigate the possibility that CMV patients on these HIV medications can develop immune systems strong enough to fight CMV without CMV medication. The study will enroll a maximum of 15 adult HIV/AIDS patients who have a CD4+T cell count over 150 cells/microliter and who have inactive CMV retinitis that is not immediately sight threatening. It is expected to last approximately 2 years. Each prospective participant will have a physical examination and complete eye examination, including retina photographs, with the eye examination and retina photographs repeated 2 weeks later. If there is no evidence of active CMV retinitis, the participant will be enrolled in the study, and CMV medication will be stopped. The participant will have physical and eye examinations every 2 weeks for the first 3 months of the study, and every 3 weeks for the next 3 months. After 6 months, the frequency of the examinations will be 2-8 weeks, depending on the participant's CD4 count. After one year, a participant with a CD4 count remaining over 150 cells/microliter may return to the care of a local ophthalmologist with HIV/CMV experience, revisiting the clinical center every 6 months. The participant's CMV medication will be restarted when CMV retinitis becomes active, which will terminate participation in the study.

The purpose of this study is to compare immune system activity in young people and older people who do not have HIV. This information will be compared to that of HIV patients in another study. Aging affects immune system activity. This study will look at some of the factors involved. HIV also affects immune system activity. The results from this study, using healthy volunteers, will be compared to those in another study of HIV-infected patients. This may provide information on immune system activity in aging and HIV.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) can treat the chronic hyperactivation of the immune system and (partly) prevent the decrease of the CD4+ T-cell count in chronically HIV-1 infected patients who are not treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). The researchers also want to know what the effect is of treatment with MMF on plasma HIV-1 RNA; progression of disease (occurrence of AIDS defining events or reaching the indication to start ART); and the safety of treatment with MMF in this patient group.

The purpose of this study is to find out what might increase nerve damage in people with HIV who have taken drugs for treatment of HIV disease. Another purpose is to see if nerve exams are done correctly before clinical research sites enroll HIV-infected patients. Nerve damage is common in patients with HIV infection and can cause serious problems. The factors that place patients at risk are not well understood. This study will examine these factors in patients with advanced HIV infection and who have been taking anti-HIV drugs.

The purpose of this study is to compare two ways of using anti-HIV drugs to help health care providers and patients decide how to best use anti-HIV treatments over many years. Many health care providers now treat patients with daily drugs to keep the viral load as low as possible. This approach helps patients with CD4 counts less than 200-250 cells/mm3 live longer without serious diseases. But it is not known if this is the best way to treat patients with higher CD4 counts. There is information suggesting that these patients may be able to wait to use anti-HIV drugs while CD4 counts are above 250 cells/mm3. Because this study will be carried out over several years, it will provide information on the long-term advantages and disadvantages of these two treatment strategies.

This 2-part study will examine 1) the immune response to influenza (flu) vaccine in HIV-infected patients, and 2) the effect of flu vaccine on HIV viral loads. Earlier studies have shown that people with HIV infection do not respond as well to flu vaccine as healthy subjects; that is, they don't make as many antibodies in response to the vaccine. Also, studies done before the use of HAART (highly active antiretroviral treatment) have shown that HIV levels increase for a period of time after flu vaccination. One small study showed a small brief increase in HIV even in patients taking HAART. The current trial will examine whether the flu vaccine does, in fact, cause an elevation in viral load and whether this increase is harmful or indicates a better response to the vaccine. HIV-infected patients and healthy normal volunteers between 18 and 60 years of age may be eligible for part1of this study. (Healthy volunteers will serve as control subjects to make sure the flu vaccine stimulates production of enough antibody to protect against the flu). Part 2 will include only HIV-infected patients with fewer than 50 copies per milliliter of HIV. Patients in both parts of the study must have been receiving HAART (consisting of at least two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors plus a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or a protease inhibitor) for at least 3 months before enrollment in the study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and blood tests, including HLA testing (a genetic test of immune system markers). 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: Part 1 - Immune Response to Flu Vaccine In the first of two visits, participants will have blood drawn for flu antibody levels before vaccination and, in HIV-infected patients, measures of T cell count and viral load. They will then receive the flu vaccine. Blood will be drawn at a second visit 28 days later for the same tests. Part 2 - Effect of Flu Vaccine on Viral Levels Participants will be randomly assigned to receive the flu vaccine either at the beginning of their enrollment in the study (immediate) or 3 weeks after enrollment (deferred). Those in the immediate group receive the flu vaccine on the first day (day 0) and have blood drawn on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 31, 35, 38 and 42. Those in the deferred group are vaccinated on day 21 and have blood drawn on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 31, 35, 38, 42 and 49. The blood is tested for viral load, CD4 cell counts and antibody levels.

HIV infected patients, aged </= 35 years and aged >/= 55 years, who are regularly taking either efavirenz (EFV) or lopinavir/ritonavir (Lop/r) as part of their antiretroviral regimen are being asked to spend 12 hours at the researchers' clinic (the ACS clinic at Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, New York) for an intensive pharmacokinetic study in which 5 cc of blood will be drawn 9 times over a 12 hour period. Patients taking EFV will return for one additional blood draw the following day.

To describe the magnitude and duration of changes in HIV-1 RNA levels during and after an acute febrile illness. To identify factors associated with increases, i.e., type of illness ultimately diagnosed (bacterial, viral, fungal), CD4 cell count, and antiretroviral treatment regimen. To describe changes in phenotypic markers of immune activation/dysregulation of CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte subsets and their relationship to intercurrent illness. To describe changes in plasma cytokines and soluble activation markers and their relationship to plasma HIV-1 viremia during and after the onset of intercurrent illness. To characterize the viral biologic phenotype and the viral drug susceptibility genotype before, during, and after the onset of an acute febrile illness. To characterize the expression of HIV-1 co-receptors before, during, and after the onset of an acute febrile illness Repeated episodes of intercurrent infections have been postulated to be an important stimulus for progression of HIV infection. The study of intercurrent illness in patients with initially undetectable viral load removes viral load as a possible cause for virologic and immunologic changes and allows for a more direct association of the intercurrent illness with changes in viral load, viral HIV-1 phenotypes, viral HIV-1 genotypes, and T cell phenotypes. Studying intercurrent illness and viral load provides an opportunity to characterize the potentially dynamic changes not only in viral load but also in phenotypic markers of T cell activation, plasma cytokine levels, phenotypic and genotypic changes in circulating virus, and HIV-1 tropisms.