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CompletedNCT00067106Updated May 19, 2015

Antiviral Therapy and HIV in the Female Genital Tract

An observational study in HIV Infections, sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2015-05-19.

Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
130
Ages
18 Years to 70 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

HIV is found in both the blood and the genital tract. This study will compare the levels and types of HIV found in the blood with the levels and types of HIV found in the female genital tract.

Study hypotheses: 1) In the presence of antiretroviral therapy, viral replication within the female genital tract may lead to the development of drug resistance that is different from that of virus in the blood plasma. 2) Antiretroviral drug levels in the female genital tract may often be lower than in the blood plasma and differences in drug exposure may be associated with differences in virus replication and selection of resistant HIV variants during drug failure. 3) HIV can be recovered in vitro from cells in the female genital tract during successful therapy, and it may be genetically different from the HIV variants recovered from the blood cell latent reservoir on the same visit.

Read the detailed description

Approximately 42 million adults are living with HIV/AIDS. The predominant mode of HIV transmission worldwide is through heterosexual contact. While many behavioral and biologic factors are associated with sexual transmission of HIV, viral load has been identified as the chief predictor of the risk of sexual transmission. Research has shown a strong correlation between blood plasma viral load and genital tract viral load. Antiretroviral medications can reduce blood plasma and genital tract HIV RNA levels, but antiretrovirals also lead to drug resistant HIV. In the United States and Europe, 2% to 27% of newly infected patients are infected with drug resistant HIV. There are reports of resistant genotypic variants in the genital tract that differ from variants found in the blood.

Understanding the dynamics of HIV in the genital tract is of great importance in strategies to control transmission of HIV. This study will evaluate the levels and variants of HIV in the blood and genital tracts of women taking antiretroviral medication.

Both women who are failing their current antiretroviral regimen (Group 1) and those who are fully suppressed on antiretroviral therapy (Group 2) will be enrolled in this study. Women in Group 1 will have study visits at study entry, 2 weeks after changing medications, then every 4 weeks until the amount of HIV in the blood and genital tract are undetectable. Drug levels in the blood and genital tract will also be measured at the first visit and after changing medications. Once the level of HIV is undetectable, women will be seen every 3 months for 36 months. Women in Group 1 will be followed no more than 42 months. Women in Group 2 will have study visits for blood and genital tract collections at study entry and then every 4 weeks for 12 months.

02

Conditions studied

  • HIV Infections

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Keywords

  • HIV
  • Women
  • Genital tract
  • Treatment experienced
  • Drug resistance
03

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 130 is below the median of 200 across 713 observational 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 to 70 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

HIV-infected women who are failing their current antiretroviral regimen and those who are fully suppressed on antiretroviral therapy

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • HIV-infected
  • Viral load below detectable limits for at least 6 months prior to study entry
  • Have not failed an antiretroviral regimen or have failed only one previous antiretroviral regimen

Inclusion Criteria:

  • HIV-infected
  • Viral load more than 1,000 copies/ml on at least two occasions, with one viral load more than 10,000 copies/ml
  • Expect to change to a new antiretroviral regimen

Exclusion Criteria:

Women not on antiretroviral therapy

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
130 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • 1: Women failing therapy

    Participants will have study visits at study entry, 2 weeks after changing medications, then every 4 weeks until the amount of HIV in the blood and genital tract are undetectable. Drug levels in the blood and genital tract will also be measured at the first visit and after changing medications. Once the level of HIV is undetectable, women will be seen every 3 months for 36 months. Participants in Group 1 will be followed no more than 42 months.

  • 2: Women suppressed on therapy

    Participants will have study visits for blood and genital tract collections at study entry and then every 4 weeks for 12 months

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Antiviral Therapy and HIV in the Female Genital Tract

    The primary analysis will be to compare resistance mutation patterns in blood plasma versus CVL population sequences.

    Time frame: 2004-2009

Secondary outcomes

  1. Antiviral Therapy and HIV in the Female Genital Tract

    Compare resistance patterns in blood plasma versus endocervical sno-strip population sequences. Other secondary analyses will include comparison of resistance mutation patterns between blood and each of the other types of genital tract specimen. Comparisons across the 4 different genital tract specimen types will also be done. Phylogenies will be constructed to address whether there may be genetic differences between the blood and all genital tract specimen types in some subjects (aim 1a). The phylogenies will include blood and all genital tract specimen population sequences from each subject at the time of study entry.

    Time frame: 2004-2009

07

Study locations

1 site
  • The Miriam Hospital
    Providence, Rhode Island 02906, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Venkatesh KK, DeLong AK, Kantor R, Chapman S, Ingersoll J, Kurpewski J, De Pasquale MP, D'Aquila R, Caliendo AM, Cu-Uvin S. Persistent genital tract HIV-1 RNA shedding after change in treatment regimens in antiretroviral-experienced women with detectable plasma viral load. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2013 Apr;22(4):330-8. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2012.3849. Epub 2013 Mar 26. PubMed 23531097 ↗
  • Cu-Uvin S, Caliendo AM. Genital tract HIV-1 RNA shedding among women with below detectable plasma viral load. AIDS. 2011 Mar 27;25(6):880-1. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e328344ccf8. No abstract available. PubMed 21412068 ↗
  • Cu-Uvin S, DeLong AK, Venkatesh KK, Hogan JW, Ingersoll J, Kurpewski J, De Pasquale MP, D'Aquila R, Caliendo AM. Genital tract HIV-1 RNA shedding among women with below detectable plasma viral load. AIDS. 2010 Oct 23;24(16):2489-97. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32833e5043. PubMed 20736815 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 19, 2015, 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
NCT00067106
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 13, 2003
Start date
Jul 2003
Primary completion
Mar 2007
Completion
Mar 2009
Last update
May 19, 2015

Study contacts

Susan Cu-Uvin, MD
principal investigator · The Miriam Hospital, Brown Medical School

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2014. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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