ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT03449706ACSUpdated Sep 17, 2026

Accurate Staging of Immuno-virological Dynamics During Acute HIV Infection

An observational study in HIV and Seroconversion, HIV, sponsored by University Hospital, Ghent. Recruiting at 1 site in Belgium. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-17.

Sponsored by University Hospital, Ghent · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Sep 2017; still recruiting 9 years 2 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
70
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

In this prospective longitudinal study we aim to assess how immunologic and viral aspects of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral reservoir, established during early HIV infection and responsible for viral rebound at treatment interruption, evolve in individuals who start combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART) during acute seroconversion.

Recently infected patients will be selected based on Fiebig staging for an in depth sampling protocol at different timepoints during a 2 year follow up period. Colonbiopsies, lymphnode resection, lumbar puncture, leucapheresis and repeated peripheral venous blood-draws will be performed. Immunological, virological and genome expression analysis will be performed on the gathered samples.

02

Conditions studied

  • HIV
  • Seroconversion, HIV

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Keywords

  • Reservoir
03

In context

HIV Seropositivity

194 studies on the registry are indexed under HIV Seropositivity; 11 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 70 is below the median of 251 across 74 observational studies indexed under HIV Seropositivity.

Browse HIV Seropositivity studies →

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Ghent is the lead sponsor of 689 studies on the registry; 160 are open to participants now.

Of its 5 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 4 (80%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

We will enroll a minimum of 30 patients and a maximum of 70 participants (Fiebig stages I - VI) in the study to establish a cohort of early treated patients. We aim at including at least 15 people with an incomplete Western Blot (Fiebig I->IV) and as a control we will also include patients with complete Western Blot and history of a semi-recent infection (Fiebig V-VI).

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.

Inclusion criteria

  • Documented recent -1 infection, early diagnosis: clinical symptoms of acute seroconversion and incomplete Western Blot OR negative screening test within the past 6 months and incomplete Western Blot OR risk contact within the 3 months and presumable primo-infection with or without clinical symptoms and incomplete Western Blot
  • Able and willing to provide written
  • Ability to attend the complete schedule of assessments and patient visits for patients participating in option A schedule (described below), or ability to attend a partial schedule of assessments and patient visits for patients participating in option B (described below).
  • Ability and willingness to have blood and tissue samples collected and stored indefinitely and used for various research purposes.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous or current history of opportunistic infection (AIDS defining events as defined in category C of the CDC clinical classification), consisting of chronic -1 infection.
  • Evidence of active infection (Hepatitis B surface antigen positive or HBV viral load positive in the past and no evidence of subsequent seroconversion (=HBV antigen or viral load negative and positive HBV surface antibody).
  • Evidence of active infection: HCV antibody positive result within 60 days prior to study entry with positive HCV viral load or, if the HCV antibody result is negative, a positive HCV RNA result within 60 days prior to study entry.
  • Current or known history of cardiomyopathy or significant ischemic or cerebrovascular disease.
  • Current history of cancer.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Any conditions, including psychiatric and psychological disorders, which will in the opinion of the investigator interfere with the trial conduct or safety of the participant.
  • Previous participation in a trial evaluating an immune modulating agent
  • Abnormal laboratory tests results at screening: confirmed \<11g/dl for women and \<12 g:dl for men/ confirmed count \< 100000/l / confirmed \<1000/μl/ confirmed and/or ALT > 3xULN
  • Active drug or alcohol use or dependence that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would interfere with adherence to study requirements.
  • Acute or serious illness, in the opinion of the site investigator, requiring systemic treatment and/or hospitalization within 60 days prior to entry.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(8)

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.

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.

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.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

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).

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.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

05

Study design

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

Interventions

  • DrugEarly combination anti-retroviral treatment

    Patients are started on treatment to supress the HIV virus in the phase of acute seroconversion.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Evolution of virological and immunological parameters of the HIV reservoir in recently infected HIV positive patients that started treatment during acute seroconversion.

    Virological, immunological and gene expression analysis on blood and tissue from in depth sampling.

    Time frame: 10 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Evolution of microbiome in recently infected HIV positive patients that started treatment during acute seroconversion.

    Microbiome analysis on stoolsamples.

    Time frame: 10 years

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 17, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03449706
Collaborators
ViiV Healthcare
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Feb 28, 2018
Start date
Sep 1, 2017
Primary completion
Jan 1, 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Jan 1, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 17, 2026

Study contacts

Linos Vandekerckhove, Prof. Dr.
Contact
linos.vandekerckhove@ugent.be
+3293323398
Linos Vandekerckhove, Prof. Dr.
principal investigator · University Hospital, Ghent

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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