Active clinical trials for "HIV Infections"

Purpose: The purpose of this research study is to learn about two HIV tests - a clinical "presumptive diagnosis" (PD) that a trained healthcare provider can quickly use to determine if a child is likely to be HIV-infected and in need of HIV medicines and an "expedited" gold standard RNA-PCR test (expedited PCR) that is done at the UNC Project lab located at the hospital and the result given within 48 hours. Both of these tests can obtain results quickly while the current test called dried blood spot DNA-PCR goes to a lab and the result may take up to one month. The performance of PD and expedited PCR will be compared to one another with respect to HIV-infected infants correctly initiating life-saving antiretroviral therapy. Participants: Hospitalized children younger than 12 months of age who are HIV DNA-PCR eligible at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), in Lilongwe, Malawi. Other participants will be patient caregivers and clinical officers who provide healthcare for children that could be HIV-infected. Clinical officers will be trained to conduct the presumptive diagnosis test. Procedures (methods): Patients will be randomized to either standard of care (PD and dried blood spot DNA-PCR) or expedited PCR. A consultant pediatrician and a clinical officer will perform the PD. If the PD or expedited PCR test results are positive, hospital care could include HIV medicine.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of plasmid DNA and recombinant MVA (Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara) in a prime-boost regimen. Approximately 111 volunteers (90 vaccine recipients/21 placebo recipients) will be enrolled at two sites. Approximately 56 volunteers will be enrolled at each site. An over-enrolment of up to 10% (approximately 10 additional volunteers) will be permitted in the study.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Fluzone High Dose increases the immune response to the influenza antigens contained in the vaccine compared to standard-dose Fluzone in immunocompromised children and young adults. Safety and efficacy data will also be collected.

The Appreciative Inquiry Change Agents (CA) program (NAMWEZA) intends to address broad societal issues by engaging HIV-positive leaders as 'change agents' in their communities. In this study, the CAs will be recruited from an HIV Care and Treatment Centre in Dar es Salaam. The Namweza program has the potential to address structural issues related to HIV risk, such as access to limited resources, through an entrepreneurial component of the program. A positive, or appreciative, focus promotes CAs to examine assets in themselves and in their networks, encourages strengthening of relationships, and facilitates planning for a positive future for themselves, their families, and their communities. A stepped wedge randomized trial will be performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the program for the following primary outcomes: uptake of HIV services among network members of the CAs; rate of unprotected sex and frequency of concurrent relationships among CAs and their social networks; and levels of self-esteem, general self efficacy, and risk of intimate partner violence in the CAs. Secondary outcomes include: depressive symptoms, hopefulness, and HIV-related stigma (among CAs); social support and quality of relationships (among CAs); and HIV knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy in preventing HIV transmission or re-infection (CAs and their networks). The following are primary hypotheses that will be tested through this stepped wedge randomized trial evaluation: Uptake of HIV services will increase among individuals in the network of the HIV-positive Change Agents related to the intervention; Levels of self-esteem and general self-efficacy will increase in trained Change Agents; Rate of unprotected sex and number of concurrent partners will decrease (among network of Change Agents as well as Change Agents themselves; i.e. the 'study population'); and Prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) will decrease in Change Agents. Secondary hypotheses are: Prevalence of depressive symptoms and HIV-related stigma will decrease and level of hopefulness will increase in trained Change Agents; Levels of HIV knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy in preventing HIV transmission and re-infection among CA and their networks will increase; and Degree of social support and quality of relationships will improve among CA. If the proposed intervention is found to be effective, linkages with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and other stakeholders will enable scale-up of the program throughout the country.

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of a brief culturally appropriate and theory-based parental communication intervention designed to improve parent-adolescent sexual communication and reduce adolescent sexual risk behavior.

This phase III, multi-centre, comparative, double-blind, randomized trial on 2 parallel groups is designed to evaluate a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection including "on demand" antiretroviral pre-exposure with Truvada versus placebo, associated with overall prevention (counselling, condoms, sexually transmitted diseases (STD) screening, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccinations and post-exposure treatment of HIV infection) in men who have sex with men (MSM), exposed to the risk of HIV infection. Indeed recent studies have reported a higher incidence of new HIV infection in MSM as compared to the general population, new approaches to the prevention of HIV infection are, therefore, necessary in order to consider the limits of current strategies.

While antiretroviral drugs have shown great promise in reducing HIV replication and thus in reducing HIV/AIDS associated morbi-mortality and HIV transmission, the cost is substantial and side effects are a potentially limiting factor. Development of an effective safe-affordable vaccine is likely to be the best way to stop further virus spread. The study aims to determine safety and immunogenicity of the DNA-vaccine at a dose of 600µg and 1200µg delivered id in combination with MVA-CMDR boost im.

Currently, no vaccine prevents HIV infection. This study will test the safety and immune responses of an HIV-1 DNA vaccine in HIV-uninfected adults in a Ugandan population.

The RV 156A clinical trial is evaluating an experimental HIV vaccine in people who are not infected with HIV. Participants in that study are randomly assigned to receive either the HIV vaccine or placebo. This study will enroll people who are participating in the RV 156 study. In this study, researchers will evaluate the safety of and immune response to a different experimental HIV vaccine in people who participated in the RV 156 study.

This study is an intervention pilot that integrates the current methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program in China with psychosocial and behavioral components in order to address the critical link between drug use and HIV/AIDS. The intervention pilot proceeds in two phases in Sichuan, China. In Phase 1, we developed the intervention manuals and supporting materials, and finalized assessment measures and implementation procedures. In Phase 2, we conducted an intervention pilot across 6 MMT clinics involving 41 service providers and 179 clients, and followed up at three, six, and nine months.