A Study of the Neurological Effects of Adding Maraviroc to HAART Regimen in Patients With HIV (HANDmac)

Bruce Brew19 enrolled

Overview

HIV related cognitive impairment still occurs despite highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). HIV disease affects the brain in 20-40% of patients with advancing HIV disease; leading to varying degrees of cognitive impairment, recently termed HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). HAND may occur in patients who are virally suppressed in both blood and CSF. Patients with HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND) who are virally suppressed in both their blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), whilst on a highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen may have significant cognitive improvement with HAART intensification with the medication Maraviroc; compared to those who remain on their existing regimen. This study will be a prospective, interventional, randomised and unblinded controlled clinical trial. The aim of this study will be to determine whether HAART intensification with the medication Maraviroc, leads to significant improvement in HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Patients with the recent progression (within 6 months) of HAND (validated by neuropsychological assessment) on HAART, who are virally suppressed (\<50 copies per ml) in blood and CSF will be randomised to have their existing HAART regimen intensified with Maraviroc, or not. The control arm will remain on their medication regimen as prescribed. The target is to enrol 70 patients into the control group, and 70 patients into the Maraviroc intensification group. Patients will undergo baseline neuropsychological testing, MRI, blood tests, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests (via a lumbar puncture). The methods used to determine the effectiveness of adding Maraviroc, will include further neuropsychological assessment at 6 months, and neuropsychological assessment, MRI and CSF assessment again at 12 months. Neuropsychological testing completed at 6 and 12 months will be completed by a "blind assessor", in that they will have no knowledge of which arm (treatment or control) the participant is enrolled in. An evaluation (neuropsychological testing) will be performed should the patient deteriorate during the course of the study, as recognised by the patient's managing physician. At the end of the study protocol (12 months) the patient's HAART therapy will be managed by their primary physician.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * HIV Positive * On HAART, with plasma viral load \< 50 copies/ml for previous 12 months or more * Able to provide informed consent * HAND diagnosis, with symptom progression within previous 6 months Exclusion Criteria: * Non-HIV related neurological disorders and active central nervous system (CNS) opportunistic infection (as assessed by full blood count, electrolytes, creatinine, glucose, liver funciton tests, cryptococcal antigen, venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL), MRI brain scan and CSF analysis for cell count, protein, glucose, culture, VDRL and cryptococcal antigen) * Psychiatric disorders on the psychiatric axis * Current major depression * Current substance use disorder, or severe substance use disorder within 12 months of study entry * Active Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) (detectable HCV RNA) * History of loss of consciousness \> 1 hour * Non-proficient in English * Medications known to pharmacologically interact with antiretrovirals (ARVs) * Currently taking an entry inhibitor * Pregnancy (as assessed by the urine pregnancy test)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in Neurocognitive Functioning

Change in overall neurocognitive performance, defined as a global neurocognitive z-score, over the study time-period (baseline, 6-months, 12-months). To derive this score, 1) raw scores obtained from a 5-domain brief neurocognitive battery were converted to age-corrected z-scores (M=0, SD=1) and 2) the set of individual subtest z-scores were averaged to generate a single composite (global) z-score for each subject. Lower (negative) scores therefore indicate greater levels of cognitive impairment.

Time frame: Baseline, 6-months and 12-months

Secondary Outcomes

Change in CSF Neopterin Concentration

Change in concentration of the CSF neuroinflammatory marker neopterin (measured in nmol/L) from baseline to 12-months.

Time frame: Baseline and 12-months

Change in MRS Cerebral Metabolite Ratios in Basal Ganglia

Change in major cerebral metabolites in the basal ganglia, as measured by 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), between baseline and 12-months. Spectra were acquired on a Phillips Achieva 3T MRI scanner using point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) sequence with short echot time (TE). jMRUI/AMARES algorithm was used to process spectra. Metabolite ratios were calculated for the following metabolites: N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), myo-inositol (mIo), in relation to internal water (H20) as standard.

Time frame: Baseline and 12 months

Change in MRS Cerebral Metabolite Ratios in Frontal White Matter

Change in major cerebral metabolites in the frontal white matter, as measured by 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), between baseline and 12-months. Spectra were acquired on a Phillips Achieva 3T MRI scanner using point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) sequence with short TE. jMRUI/AMARES algorithm was used to process spectra. Metabolite ratios were calculated for the following metabolites: N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), myo-inositol (mIo), glutamate/glutamine complex (Glx), in relation to internal H2O as standard.