Clinical Research Directory

Effects of COVID-19 on Endothelium in HIV-Positive Patients in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sponsor: Medical University of Graz

Summary

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected almost every country in the world, especially in terms of health system capacity and economic burden. People from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) often face interaction between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Role of HIV infection and anti-retroviral treatment (ART) in altered cardiovascular risk is questionable and there is still need to further carry out research in this field. However, thus far it is unclear, what impact the COVID-19 co-infection in people living with HIV (PLHIV), with or without therapy will have. The ENDOCOVID project aims to investigate whether and how HIV-infection in COVID-19 patients modulates the time course of the disease, alters cardiovascular risk, and changes vascular endothelial function and coagulation parameters/ thrombosis risk. Methods: In this long-term study, cardiovascular research on PLHIV with or without ART with COVID-19 and HIV-negative with COVID-19 will be carried out via clinical and biochemical measurements for cardiovascular risk factors and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Vascular and endothelial function will be measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) assessments, and retinal blood vessel analyses, along with vascular endothelial biomarkers and coagualation markers. The correlation between HIV-infection in COVID-19 PLHIV with or without ART and its role in enhancement of cardiovascular risk and endothelial dysfunction will be assessed. Potential changes in these endpoints by COVID-19 will be followed for 4 weeks across the three groups (PLHIVwith or without ART and HIV negatives). Impact of project: The ENDOCOVID project aims to evaluate in the long-term the cardiovascular risk and vascular endothelial function in PLHIV thus revealing an important transitional cardiovascular phenotype in COVID-19.

Official title: COVID-19 and Its Effects on Endothelium in HIV-Positive Patients in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cardiometabolic Risk, Thrombosis and Vascular Function

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