Project Details
Description
DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract)
We propose to study viral, immunologic and genetic factors related to HIV
infection and disease progression in a well-established cohort of drug
users, in the Bronx, in New York. The study aims to elucidate pathogenetic
correlates of epidemiologically defined patterns of disease progression,
emphasizing the effects of drug use and bacterial infections. We will build
on our previous work on the clinical spectrum of HIV, co-infections,
predictors of AIDS and rate of progression, correlates of CD4% decline,
mortality, and trends in drug use behaviors. We will expand laboratory
assessment to include viral load, immune activation markers, cytokines, HLA
typing and, for seronegative high risk drug users, correlates of protective
immunity (infectibility, chemokines, CD8 suppression).
Since 6/85 we have enrolled 1395 drug users (40.6% HIV seropositive) of whom
207 (14.8%) have died and 984 (82.8%) remain active as of 9/95. For this
proposal we will follow 488 HIV seropositive and 455 HIV seronegative drug
users. At semi-annual visits, all participants undergo standardized
behavioral interviews, medical histories, directed physical exams, and
venipuncture for laboratory assays and storage of specimens in repository.
A disease surveillance team actively monitors hospitalizations and
out-patient visits and applies standard criteria to determine all clinical
endpoints.
Continued study of this cohort is needed to increase the number of cases of
clinical AIDS and other HIV-related endpoints (ie. infections,
non-progression, and long-term survivorship) and to study disease
progression and changing manifestations of disease with advances in HIV
treatment regimes. With HIV seronegative drug users, we will distinguish
effects of drug use from findings related to HIV, study protective immunity,
and study trends in drug using behaviors in relation to the HIV epidemic.
We have established collaborations with basic scientists at Johns Hopkins
University (Drs. Joseph Margolic and Homayoon Farzadegan) and University of
Alabama (Drs. Richard Kaslow and George Shaw) to integrate epidemiologic,
immunologic, virologic, and genetic expertise to advance our knowledge of
HIV pathogenesis and disease
progression in drug users.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 12/31/89 → 3/31/03 |
Funding
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE: $1,343,180.00
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE: $1,476,592.00
ASJC
- Infectious Diseases
- History and Philosophy of Science
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