The purpose of this research study is to learn about levels of antiretroviral drug levels and response to HIV virus in the genital tract of women who are post-menopausal. The investigators in this study think that the levels of hormones post-menopausal HIV-infected women may have in their bodies may affect the levels of antiretroviral drug, and therefore affect how much HIV virus they have in their bodies. Since women who have already gone through menopause have different levels of hormones, such as estrogen, than women who are pre-menopausal, the investigators would like to check the levels of antiretroviral drugs in their blood, their genital secretions, and their genital tissue.
Purpose: To longitudinally quantify systemic and genital tract antiretroviral pharmacokinetics and viral responses in HIV-infected post-menopausal women. These parameters will be compared to pre-menopausal women to determine if the absence or presence of estrogen influences treatment responses and infectiousness of HIV. Participants: 30 post-menopausal and 12 pre-menopausal HIV-infected women Procedures (methods): First dose, steady state, and longitudinal pharmacokinetics of the most commonly prescribed antiretroviral agents will be assessed in the systemic and genital tract compartments in a cohort of post- and pre-menopausal HIV-infected women. Concurrent blood plasma and genital secretions HIV RNA will be measured. Systemic and genital tract virologic responses will be correlated with antiretroviral concentrations and with each other.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
11
Women may also be naïve to either NNRTI or PIs and initiating their first, second or third HAART regimen (ARVs to be investigated: zidovudine, lamivudine, emtricitabine, abacavir, tenofovir, efavirenz, lopinavir/ritonavir, atazanavir with or without ritonavir). Provided the ARV regimens contain one or more of the agents under study they may also include new agents such as maraviroc (CCR5 inhibitor), raltegravir (integrase inhibitor) and/or etravirine (NNRTI).
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
To measure and compare steady state blood plasma pharmacokinetics of antiretroviral therapies in post- and pre-menopausal HIV-infected women.
Time frame: 6 months
To longitudinally quantify and compare genital tract antiretroviral drug exposure in post- and pre-menopausal HIV-infected women
Time frame: 6 months
To determine and compare sexual HIV infectivity in post- and pre-menopausal HIV-infected women by measuring HIV RNA dynamics in blood plasma and genital tract secretions before and after the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy.
Time frame: 6 months
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