View clinical trials related to Communicable Diseases.
Filter by:Part A: To determine the safety and pharmacokinetics of sequential single doses of cidofovir in HIV-infected children with end-organ cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease. Part B: To determine the safety (including time to progression of CMV retinitis by retinal exam), pharmacokinetics, and long-term (6 months) tolerance of multiple-dose cidofovir in HIV-infected children with CMV retinitis. Part B: To determine the effect of multiple-dose cidofovir on the virologic parameters of CMV retinitis (viral load, shedding, and resistance to antiviral agents). [AS PER AMENDMENT 1/7/98: To determine the safety, tolerance and pharmacokinetics of sequential single doses of cidofovir in HIV-infected children with CMV retinitis. To determine the safety (including time to progression of CMV retinitis by retinal exam), pharmacokinetics, and long-term (6-month) tolerance of multiple doses of cidofovir in HIV-infected children with CMV retinitis.] While the intravenous formulation of cidofovir has been approved for the treatment of CMV retinitis in HIV-infected individuals, information is limited regarding its safety and tolerance in HIV-infected children. Intravenous cidofovir requires less frequent administration for both induction and maintenance therapy of CMV retinitis than other currently available therapies. If found to be safe and well tolerated in HIV-infected children with CMV retinitis, intravenous cidofovir would add significantly to agents available to treat this debilitating opportunistic infection.
To evaluate the safety of anti-HIV CTL therapy in early stage patients and to verify the safety when combined with antiviral therapy with zidovudine/lamivudine/indinavir and low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2). To compare the effects on plasma and cell-associated viral load following combination drug therapy with and without antiviral CTL in early-stage patients. To study in detail the immune effects of lowering viral burden with antiviral combination drugs with and without T cell infusion on antiviral CTL activity, viral suppression and proliferation, circulating T cell phenotype, T cell apoptosis, CD4 cell numbers, DTH reaction, and inflammatory cytokine levels. In an HIV-infected person, there is an ongoing struggle between HIV replication and host immune control. In the past decade most therapeutic strategies have targeted the virus. This approach has been frustrated by viral mutation to evade drug sensitivity. Promising drugs have recently been approved and there are encouraging sustained results from combination antiviral chemotherapy. However, even the most potent drug regimens do not seem to be curative, may eventually lead to drug resistance and may not completely restore lost immune function. The addition of immune-based therapy to antiviral drugs may lead to better viral control.
To determine if treatment of MAC infection in HIV-1 infected persons is associated with the decreases in plasma levels of TNF-alpha. Infection with MAC is a poor prognostic indicator in persons with AIDS. Evidence suggests that this poor outcome is not simply a reflection of greater immune impairment in AIDS patients with MAC infection, but rather may be a direct or indirect consequence of infection with mycobacterium. Survival of AIDS patients with MAC is shorter than those without MAC. Studies show that treatment for MAC improves the survival of MAC infected patients to nearly the survival of AIDS patients without MAC. Treatment of MAC with clarithromycin containing regimens is associated with decreased symptoms and prolonged survival. There is evidence, however, that mycobacterial infection may enhance propagation of the human immunodeficiency virus through mechanisms that may involve enhanced expression of pro inflammatory cytokines. It is unclear to what extent cytokine abnormalities contribute to this symptom complex and to what extent treatment of MAC infection will reverse these cytokine abnormalities.
To determine the safety and tolerance of methotrexate in HIV-infected patients. To determine the dose effective in modulating key markers of immune activation. To determine a dose suitable for Phase II or III evaluation in HIV-infected patients. In HIV infection, complete immunological clearance of the foreign antigen does not occur, resulting in chronic immune activation. Because chronic immune activation may contribute to disease progression in HIV infection, immunomodulators may have therapeutic value in early HIV disease prior to development of opportunistic infections. The clinical benefits of methotrexate appear to derive from an anti-inflammatory effect; thus, it may reduce the state of chronic immune activation.
To assess whether HIV-infected infants who receive a heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine have more local reactions at the site of injection and systemic reactions than placebo subjects. To assess whether this vaccine is more immunogenic than placebo following the third vaccination. Children with HIV infection are at increased risk for invasive pneumococcal infection, particularly bacteremia. A large proportion of pneumococcal disease is caused by a limited number of serotypes. The maximum number of pneumococcal serotypes that can be included in a new conjugate vaccine is felt to be limited by the amount of carrier protein. A heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has been developed that consists of pneumococcal capsular saccharides from serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F bound to a diphtheria toxin mutant carrier protein.
To determine the effects of fluconazole and either rifabutin or clarithromycin, alone and in combination, on the pharmacokinetics of first sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and then dapsone in HIV-infected patients. Although prophylaxis for more than one opportunistic infection is emerging as a common clinical practice in patients with advanced HIV disease, little is known about possible adverse drug interactions. The need exists to define pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic adverse interactions of the many combination prophylactic regimens that may be prescribed.
To determine the relative antiviral activity and safety of zidovudine ( AZT ) and didanosine ( ddI ) alone and in combination, as well as in various sequences of administration. The relative efficacy of the approved antiretrovirals in early HIV-1 disease is unclear; thus, a study is needed to evaluate the ability of these various nucleoside analogs to limit pathogenicity.
PRIMARY: To examine the effect of aldesleukin ( IL-2 ) on viral activity in the blood. To determine the safety of low-dose IL-2 in combination with antiretroviral therapy versus antiretroviral therapy alone. SECONDARY: To examine delayed type hypersensitivity responses to skin test antigens and antibody responses to protein and polysaccharide vaccines. The profound immune impairment that results from HIV-1 infection is due, at least in part, to the loss of CD4+ T cells and the cytokines these cells secrete, especially IL-2 and interferon-gamma. Antiretroviral agents do not directly address the problem of immune impairment. Replacement of IL-2 at nontoxic doses may prevent or delay clinical immunosuppression and its attendant opportunistic infections. Also, since patients with HIV-1 infection respond suboptimally to routine protein and polysaccharide immunizations, IL-2 may provide an adjuvant effect on vaccine responses.
PRIMARY: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of daily oral thalidomide. SECONDARY: To examine the effect of thalidomide on antiviral activity and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production, and the correlation between TNF-alpha inhibition and viral burden. A protein in the blood called tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) is abnormally elevated in patients with HIV infection and may cause the body to produce more virus. In vitro studies have demonstrated that thalidomide reduces TNF-alpha levels and inhibits production of HIV. However, more information on the pharmacological and immunological aspects of thalidomide is needed.
This study compares 2 different treatments administered to try to prevent serious bacterial infections (such as pneumonia) in HIV-positive children. A combination of drugs (azithromycin plus atovaquone) will be compared to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) alone. This study also evaluates the long-term safety and tolerance of these different drugs. SMX/TMP is a commonly prescribed drug for the prevention of bacterial infections. However, the combination of azithromycin and atovaquone may be safer and more effective than SMX/TMP. This study compares the 2 treatments.