An observational study in HIV, sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 120 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-10.
Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) · Observational
There is evidence that early and aggressive treatment with antiretroviral drugs can prevent the loss of immune cell function that accompanies HIV infection. This study will use leukapheresis (drawing blood, separating out the white cells and returning the blood to the patient) to obtain blood cells from HIV-infected patients in either the acute or chronic stage of infection who are being treated with early highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Leukapheresis is necessary to obtain enough cells to delineate the response of B cells to CD4+ T cell help, the CD8 factors associated with suppression of viral replication and normalization of immune function, and natural killer function relative to HIV disease.
Study participants will be adult (older than 18 years) HIV primary or acutely affected patients (those with a history of exposure to HIV but not yet showing chronic symptoms of HIV disease) and HIV chronically infected patients (those infected with HIV for longer than 12 months or showing other symptoms of HIV disease) who are not receiving HAART at the beginning of the study. The study seeks to enroll 30 primary and 30 chronic patients. Pregnant women will not be enrolled in the study; women who become pregnant will be dropped from the study.
Leukapheresis will be performed on each patient before HAART therapy begins and then three times a year. Each session will take between 1 and 3 hours.
This longitudinal study will enable researchers to examine the function of certain B cells, natural killer cells, and CD8+ T cells in people who do not have chronic HIV disease and in those who do have the disease and are treated with HAART.
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HIV-1 infection is known to cause profound and irreversible dysfunction of both innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. However, there is mounting evidence that early and aggressive treatment with antiretroviral drugs can prevent loss of immune cell function. In an attempt to further delineate the effect of early antiretroviral therapy (ART) on maintenance of immune cell function, we wish to recruit people with drug-naive HIV-1 who are either in early or chronic stage of the disease. The study will require that participants undergo leukapheresis or research blood draw once before and several times after enrollment. Leukapheresis will be used in order to obtain sufficient cells to pursue the following objectives: delineating B cell response to CD4+ T cell help, delineating the effect of ART on persistent HIV reservoirs in CD4+ T cells of people with HIV (PWH), and delineating CD8+ T cell-mediated suppression of viral replication and normalization of immune function, and characterizing natural killer (NK) function relative to HIV disease. The required number of mononuclear cells needed to perform these experiments can be easily and safely obtained using leukapheresis procedures in the Clinical Center Apheresis Unit. This protocol is specifically designed to conform to the requirements of the Apheresis Unit for donors to have leukapheresis procedures, but the protocol, by itself, is not an independent research study. Alternatively, whole blood draws may be used in cases where participants are unable to undergo leukapheresis. While this approach will limit extensive functional analyses, informative phenotypic and limited functional analyses can nonetheless be performed.
4,734 studies on the registry are indexed under HIV Infections; 244 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 750 is above the median of 200 across 781 observational studies indexed under HIV Infections.
Browse HIV Infections studies →National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is the lead sponsor of 2,446 studies on the registry; 179 are open to participants now.
Of its 405 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 302 (75%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Participants will be recruited from existing cohorts of individuals participating in National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) who meet the Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria. Additional local and regional recruitment may be done using direct mailing to infectious disease physicians, internet ad campaigns, social media outlets, print ads, and from local clinics via the NIAID patient recruitment contract with Matthews Media Group.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Adult (18 years old or older) with -1.
Antiretroviral naive, no antiretroviral use in the last six months, or previously enrolled 02-I-0202 participants on whom there are samples stored in the repository.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hemoglobin (Hb)
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Platelets
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
For example, an individual infected with HIV-1 for an indeterminate amount of time.
For example, a negative HIV antibody immunoassay within 6 months of a positive HIV antibody assay and confirmatory test (as defined by current CDC criteria).
To further investigate differences in the immunologic function of various lymphocyte subsets in PWH who are treated early after transmission of HIV and during the chronic phase of the disease.
To further investigate differences in the immunologic function of various lymphocyte subsets in PWH who are treated early after transmission of HIV and during the chronic phase of the disease. Studies will also be done to further delineate the various antigen-specific and innate immune responses including characterization of soluble factors associated with early HIV disease.
Time frame: Throughout the study
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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