Clinical trial NCT00000905: A Study to Evaluate the Effects of Stopping Maintenance Therapy for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Retinitis After Effective Anti-HIV Therapy
Official title: Discontinuation of Maintenance Therapy for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Retinitis After Immune Reconstitution by Potent Antiretroviral Therapy: Safety, Virology, and Immunology Profiles
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Cytomegalovirus Retinitis
HIV Infections
Keywords: Immunity, Cellular
Disease Progression
Cytomegalovirus Retinitis
DNA, Viral
Prognosis
Lead sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 2001-08-31
Enrollment: 75
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 13
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to see if it is safe to stop maintenance therapy in HIV-positive patients with treated and healed CMV retinitis (eye disease) who have responded well to anti-HIV (antiretroviral) therapy.

The current therapies available to treat CMV retinitis are long-term therapies. However, it may be safe to stop long-term anti-CMV therapy in patients with healed CMV retinitis and stable CD4 counts resulting from taking a combination of at least 2 antiretroviral drugs.

Detailed description: This study proposes to assess the hypothesis that, in HIV-infected patients with treated and healed CMV retinitis, an increase in CD4+ T-cells after initiation of potent antiretroviral therapy is either directly related to, or a marker of, immunologic protection for CMV retinitis and is associated with a recovery in specific proliferation responses to CMV antigens.

In this study, 100 patients \[AS PER AMENDMENT 7/2/99: 50 patients\] with treated and healed, non-immediate sight-threatening CMV retinitis will discontinue maintenance therapy for suppression of CMV retinitis. Patients are studied in 2 groups. Patients enrolled in Group 1 have CD4+ counts greater than 100 cells/mm3. Group 2 patients have CD4+ counts of 50-100 cells/mm3 and a minimum of a 2 log10 decrease in plasma HIV-1 RNA level or plasma HIV-1 RNA levels below the limit of detection while receiving potent antiretroviral therapy for at least 8 weeks prior to entry \[AS PER AMENDMENT 7/2/99: Group 2 has been withdrawn\]. An additional 25 patients who meet eligibility requirements but who choose to continue to receive maintenance therapy may also participate. All patients are followed to evaluate the relationship between reactivation or progression of CMV disease and changes in CMV DNA, HIV-1 RNA, and CD4+ cell counts. Patients are seen at Weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8, and every 4 weeks until study closure or for 12 months after the last subject is enrolled. \[AS PER AMENDMENT 12/24/98: Patients with confirmed moderate to severe "immune recovery vitritis" should receive a 3-week course of systemic steroids (oral prednisone recommended). Moderate immune recovery vitritis is defined as symptomatic decrease in visual acuity of 2 or more Snellen lines along with, in the absence of active CMV disease, either 2+ or greater vitreous haze as defined by Nussenblatt et al., or cystoid macular edema.\] \[AS PER AMENDMENT 7/2/99: During the course of the study in patients with confirmed cystoid macular edema and a concomitant reduction in visual activity below 20/40, both attributable to immune recovery vitritis/uveitis only, a 21-day course of oral prednisone is recommended. This initial course of steroids helps to determine whether there is an improvement in vision or a decrease in macular edema. Long-term management of immune recovery vitritis/uveitis may include intraocular injection of steroids. Ophthalmoscopic examinations and laboratory tests are performed as per protocol.\]

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for this study if you:

* Are HIV-positive.
* Have a CD4 count greater than 100 cells/mm3.
* Have healed CMV retinitis after receiving anti-CMV therapy for at least 8 weeks within 3 months prior to study entry.
* Have taken antiretroviral therapy for at least 8 weeks prior to study entry; combination therapy must include at least 2 of the following: protease inhibitors (PIs), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).
* Have a life expectancy of at least 6 months.
* Are at least 13 years old (need consent if under 18).

Exclusion Criteria

You will not be eligible for this study if you:

* Have any unstable or severe medical conditions that would keep you from completing the study.
* Require chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
* Have a history of certain eye disorders.

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Los Angeles
country: United States
facility: Univ of Southern California / LA County USC Med Ctr
state: California
city: Los Angeles
country: United States
facility: UCLA CARE Ctr
state: California
city: Menlo Park
country: United States
facility: Willow Clinic
state: California
city: San Diego
country: United States
facility: Univ of California / San Diego Treatment Ctr
state: California
city: San Francisco
country: United States
facility: San Francisco AIDS Clinic / San Francisco Gen Hosp
state: California
city: San Francisco
country: United States
facility: San Francisco Gen Hosp
state: California
city: San Jose
country: United States
facility: Santa Clara Valley Med Ctr / AIDS Community Rsch Consortium
state: California
city: Stanford
country: United States
facility: San Mateo AIDS Program / Stanford Univ
state: California
city: Stanford
country: United States
facility: Stanford Univ Med Ctr
state: California
city: Denver
country: United States
facility: Univ of Colorado Health Sciences Ctr
state: Colorado
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Univ Med School
state: Illinois
city: Indianapolis
country: United States
facility: Indiana Univ Hosp
state: Indiana
city: Indianapolis
country: United States
facility: Division of Inf Diseases/ Indiana Univ Hosp
state: Indiana
city: Baltimore
country: United States
facility: Johns Hopkins Hosp
state: Maryland
city: St Louis
country: United States
facility: St Louis Regional Hosp / St Louis Regional Med Ctr
state: Missouri
city: Buffalo
country: United States
facility: SUNY / Erie County Med Ctr at Buffalo
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Bellevue Hosp / New York Univ Med Ctr
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Chelsea Ctr
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Cornell Univ Med Ctr
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Mount Sinai Med Ctr
state: New York
city: Chapel Hill
country: United States
facility: Univ of North Carolina
state: North Carolina
city: Cincinnati
country: United States
facility: Univ of Cincinnati
state: Ohio
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: Univ of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia
state: Pennsylvania
city: West Columbia
country: United States
facility: Julio Arroyo
state: South Carolina
city: Galveston
country: United States
facility: Univ of Texas Galveston
state: Texas
Study officials:
name: Torriani F
role: STUDY_CHAIR
name: Wohl D
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References:
citation: Wohl DA, Kendall MA, Owens S, Holland G, Nokta M, Spector SA, Schrier R, Fiscus S, Davis M, Jacobson MA, Currier JS, Squires K, Alston-Smith B, Andersen J, Freeman WR, Higgins M, Torriani FJ; ACTG 379 Study Team. The safety of discontinuation of maintenance therapy for cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis and incidence of immune recovery uveitis following potent antiretroviral therapy. HIV Clin Trials. 2005 May-Jun;6(3):136-46. doi: 10.1310/4J65-4YX1-4ET6-E5KR.