Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration in HIV-positive Subjects Switched and Initially Treated With INSTI

Plain-language summary

Since the HIV changed its course to the chronic disease, high incidence of metabolic syndrome both in HIV positive and negative subjects has become an issue. Given the successful peripheral suppression of HIV after introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), comorbidities associated with aging and cognitive functioning, play the main role in the overall quality of life and adherence to the therapy. Continuous low-level neuroinflammation results in continuous and diffuse neuronal death or dysfunction leading to a certain level of neurodegeneration. Additionally, metabolic syndrome contributes to neurodegeneration causing damage to the brain vasculature and provoking the ischemic incidents. The aim of this study would be to explore the influence of switching to the INSTI based cART using neuroimaging biomarkers of inflammation and neurodegeneration. The second aim would be to monitor these neuroimaging biomarkers in patients receiving INSTI-based cART in a one-year follow-up period. Additionally, we would compare the markers of metabolic syndrome and cognitive functioning (executive functions) in HIV-positive patients after switching to INSTI-based cART and in HIV-positive patients receiving INSTI-based cART from the start. This study represents a single-center, prospective, interventional, two-armed single study. Arm I will include 60 patients on PI/EFV based ART, stable on treatment, who are switched to INSTI based regimen at the beginning of the study due to side effects or long-term toxicities like hyperlipidemia, diarrhea, (PI), insomnia, headache (EFV), high Framingham score (PI/EFV). Arm II will include 60 patients initially on INSTI-based ART, stable on treatment. The same data sets will be collected for both groups of patients. The variables collected will be related to metabolic syndrome (levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting insulin, glucose, blood pressure, waist circumference, waist to hip and waist to height ratio), performance on neurocognitive tests and MR spectroscopy neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration markers at the beginning of the study, as well as in 12 months follow up. Presence of steatosis and visceral fat thickness will be assessed using ultrasonography of abdomen. The primary imaging will be performed at the time of enrollment of patients, along with the neurocognitive testing and blood sampling. The secondary imaging (follow up) will be performed 12 months after the initial, also followed by neurocognitive assessment and blood sampling. Anthropometric measurements will be acquired at the time of blood sampling. Statistical analysis will be performed after collecting the data. Our work could significantly contribute to the better life quality in the aging of HIV positive subjects in the domain of cognitive functioning, tightly associated with adherence and overall life quality.

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