Active clinical trials for "HIV Infections"

This study's purpose is to learn how dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) affects the HIV virus, the immune system, hormone levels, body composition and quality of life.

The lining of the gastrointestinal tract contains specialized lymphoid tissue that is part of the immune system. Like other parts of the immune system, HIV attacks this lymphoid tissue. This study will evaluate the effect of an anti-inflammatory drug on the lymphoid tissue in the gastrointestinal tracts of people with HIV.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether massage therapy can improve immune status and enhance well-being in children living in the Dominican Republic who are infected with HIV.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability (how well the body stands the drug) of an investigational protease inhibitor (PI) called TMC114 given with low dose ritonavir.

This study will examine whether interleukin-2 (IL-2) given before the interruption of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment could significantly extend the period of time that a patient is temporarily not taking ARV treatment and also preserve CD4 counts above 350 cells per microliter. There will be an evaluation of the toxicity, or extremely harmful effects, of ARV, and the effect on quality of life. The use of ARV medications has greatly improved the condition and mortality of HIV-infected patients. But when used long term, those medications have been associated with great toxicities and medication fatigue. As a result, patients may not adhere to ARV use, and resistance to viruses may grow. The CD4 molecule is on the surface of helper T-lymphocytes, or T-helper cells. It serves as the primary receptor for HIV-1 and HIV-2, allowing the virus to gain entry into its host. The CD4 count increases immediately in response to ARV, giving an estimate of the state of a patient's immune system. Thus, it is a strong marker of the immediate risk of an opportunistic infection, one that takes advantage of a person's weakened immune system. IL-2 is a molecule naturally produced by activated T cells. In patients with HIV, IL-2 treatment can increase CD4 counts but the clinical importance of this increase is not clear. This study will compare the decline in CD4 count, when ARV is interrupted, in two random groups of participants: (1) those who will receive three cycles of IL-2 (one every 8 weeks) in combination with ARV therapy for the first 24 weeks of the study before stopping ARV and (2) those who will receive ARV therapy without IL-2 for 24 weeks before stopping ARV. Patients 18 years of age or older who have HIV-1 infection and who have been on ARV therapy for at least 1 year, and who currently have a CD4 count 500 cells per microliter or higher and never had a CD4 count of less than 200 cells per microliter and a viral load less than the limit of detection, may be eligible for this study. Participants will undergo the following procedures and tests: Physical examination. Blood tests to measure blood lipids (fats), sugar, complete blood count including platelets, and chemistries. Assessment of fat distribution. Questionnaire about quality of life. In addition, those participants who are randomly placed in the group receiving IL-2 and ARV will get an echocardiogram at the beginning of the study and at week 24. They will receive a starting dose of 6 million units of IL-2 as an injection under the skin twice a day. Each of the three IL-2 cycles will last 5 days. After the 24-week period, participants in both groups will stop taking ARV medications if their CD4 count is still equal to or greater than 500 cells per microliter. The study will continue into 120 weeks. Participants will be asked to continue to visit the clinic every 8 weeks for evaluation of their viral load and CD4 counts. Every 24 weeks, they will be asked to answer a questionnaire about their quality of life. Blood tests and other measurements will also be done as follow-up.

Most currently approved anti-HIV drugs work by stopping the replication of HIV after it has entered cells. AMD070 (also known as AMD11070) is designed to block HIV from entering cells and may be effective in treating patients who have developed resistance to or are unable to take other anti-HIV drugs. This study will evaluate the safety of different doses of AMD070 along with AMD070 boosted with ritonavir (RTV) in HIV uninfected men.

Our study is a randomized controlled trial that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of modified directly observed therapy (mDOT) to (1) increase both short and long term adherence to HAART treatment, and (2) improve clinical outcomes associated with HAART therapy. Our hypothesis is that modified directly observed therapy (mDOT) during the initial 6 weeks of HAART, supervised primarily by HIV-positive lay activists, will improve adherence and clinical outcomes compared with those that do not have supervised mDOT. We also hypothesize that the benefits of mDOT will be achieved through a variety of mediators that will result from the social interactions the patients will have with the activists. These mediators include improved social support, improved knowledge about HAART, reduced stigma, and improved self-efficacy.

This study is an evaluation of the safety of 625 mg formulation when administered to HIV-infected pregnant women from their second trimester through six weeks postpartum. The study will also evaluate the pharmacokinetics of VIRACEPT

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the HIV vaccine VRC-HIVDNA009-00-VP will be safe in individuals who started antiretroviral therapy during acute HIV-1 infection. The study will also test whether the vaccine can increase the immune system function in these participants.

To determine the response to treatment with NVP, ZDV and 3TC in HIV positive women, who previously received NVP for the prevention of mother to child transmission.