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CompletedNCT00050921Updated Nov 1, 2021

Administration of Growth Hormone to Increase CD4+ Count in Patients Taking Anti-HIV Drugs

An interventional study of somatropin and Hepatitis A virus, inactivated in HIV Infections, sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Completed at 13 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-11-01.

Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study is designed to evaluate the ability of growth hormone (GH, also known as somatropin) to increase CD4+ cell counts in patients taking anti-HIV drugs. The study is targeted toward patients with low levels of HIV who continue to have low CD4+ cell counts.

Read the detailed description

After initiation of HAART, many HIV infected patients have significant improvement in CD4+ levels. However, some patients continue to have low CD4+ counts (\< 350 cells/mm3) despite adequate viral suppression. The purpose of this study is to determine whether administration of GH will increase naïve CD4+ production. Further, the study will assess whether an increase in naïve CD4+ production will lead to increases in antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

Patients enrolled in this study will be randomized to one of two groups. Patients in both groups will continue their present HAART regimen for the duration of the study. Group A patients will receive daily subcutaneous injections of GH for 48 weeks. Group B participants will receive no additional therapy for 24 weeks, and will then receive daily subcutaneous GH injections during Weeks 24-28 of the study. Both groups will receive immunocyanin (keyhole-limpet hemocyanin) injections at Weeks 16 and 20 and hepatitis A vaccination at Weeks 40 and 44. At the conclusion of Week 48, all patients will discontinue GH therapy while maintaining their HAART regimen. Patients will then be followed for an additional 24 weeks.

Patients may be asked to participate in a substudy to measure the size of the thymus in people taking GH. Patients in the substudy will have a noncontrast CT scan of the chest before beginning GH therapy and again after 24 weeks of GH therapy.

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Conditions studied

  • HIV Infections

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Keywords

  • HIV Infections
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
  • Growth Hormone
  • Cell Division
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
  • Treatment Experienced
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In context

HIV Infections

4,258 studies on the registry are indexed under HIV Infections; 240 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 60 is below the median of 83 across 3,251 interventional studies indexed under HIV Infections.

Browse HIV Infections studies →

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is the lead sponsor of 2,401 studies on the registry; 179 are open to participants now.

Of its 396 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 294 (74%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • HIV positive
  • Minimum of 1 year of treatment with HAART
  • CD4+ cell count \<350 cells/mm3
  • HIV-1 RNA \<400 copies/ml for 6 months prior to study entry
  • Acceptable methods of contraception

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria

  • Serious medical illness requiring hospitalization within 14 days prior to study entry
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding
  • Taking certain medications
  • Allergy to r-hGH, hepatitis A vaccine, KLH, or their formulations, including allergies to shellfish
  • Active drug or alcohol dependence
  • Diabetes or uncontrolled hyperglycemia
  • Uncontrolled hypertension
  • History of carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Active neoplasm requiring treatment
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
60 participants

Interventions

  • Drugsomatropin
  • BiologicalHepatitis A virus, inactivated
  • DrugKeyhole-Limpet Hemocyanin
06

Study locations

13 sites
  • Alabama Therapeutics CRS
    Birmingham, Alabama 35924, United States
  • UCLA CARE Center CRS
    Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
  • UC Davis Medical Center
    Sacramento, California 95814, United States
  • Univ. of California Davis Med. Ctr., ACTU
    Sacramento, California 95814, United States
  • Ucsf Aids Crs
    San Francisco, California 94110, United States
  • University of Colorado Hospital CRS
    Aurora, Colorado 80262, United States
  • Northwestern University CRS
    Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
  • Rush Univ. Med. Ctr. ACTG CRS
    Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
  • Univ. of Iowa Healthcare, Div. of Infectious Diseases
    Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
  • Beth Israel Med. Ctr., ACTU
    New York, New York 10003, United States
  • Case CRS
    Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
  • MetroHealth CRS
    Cleveland, Ohio 44109, United States
  • Univ. of Texas Southwestern Med. Ctr., Amelia Court Continuity Clinic
    Dallas, Texas 75235, United States
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References and documents

Publications

  • Connick E, Lederman MM, Kotzin BL, Spritzler J, Kuritzkes DR, St Clair M, Sevin AD, Fox L, Chiozzi MH, Leonard JM, Rousseau F, D'Arc Roe J, Martinez A, Kessler H, Landay A. Immune reconstitution in the first year of potent antiretroviral therapy and its relationship to virologic response. J Infect Dis. 2000 Jan;181(1):358-63. doi: 10.1086/315171. PubMed 10608789 ↗
  • Smith KY, Valdez H, Landay A, Spritzler J, Kessler HA, Connick E, Kuritzkes D, Gross B, Francis I, McCune JM, Lederman MM. Thymic size and lymphocyte restoration in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection after 48 weeks of zidovudine, lamivudine, and ritonavir therapy. J Infect Dis. 2000 Jan;181(1):141-7. doi: 10.1086/315169. PubMed 10608760 ↗
  • Vigano A, Vella S, Saresella M, Vanzulli A, Bricalli D, Di Fabio S, Ferrante P, Andreotti M, Pirillo M, Dally LG, Clerici M, Principi N. Early immune reconstitution after potent antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children correlates with the increase in thymus volume. AIDS. 2000 Feb 18;14(3):251-61. doi: 10.1097/00002030-200002180-00007. PubMed 10716501 ↗
  • Schambelan M, Mulligan K, Grunfeld C, Daar ES, LaMarca A, Kotler DP, Wang J, Bozzette SA, Breitmeyer JB. Recombinant human growth hormone in patients with HIV-associated wasting. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Serostim Study Group. Ann Intern Med. 1996 Dec 1;125(11):873-82. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-125-11-199612010-00002. PubMed 8967667 ↗
  • Napolitano LA, Lo JC, Gotway MB, Mulligan K, Barbour JD, Schmidt D, Grant RM, Halvorsen RA, Schambelan M, McCune JM. Increased thymic mass and circulating naive CD4 T cells in HIV-1-infected adults treated with growth hormone. AIDS. 2002 May 24;16(8):1103-11. doi: 10.1097/00002030-200205240-00003. PubMed 12004268 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 1, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00050921
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 1, 2003
Completion
Mar 2005
Last update
Nov 1, 2021

Study contacts

Kimberly Smith, M.D., MPH
study chair · Rush Medical College of Rush University
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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