Projects

The initial HIV infection phase determines the natural history of the disease. It is also the most infectious stage when most immune damage occurs. The main objective of the GAMA project is to analyse and compare biomarker dynamics in first-year HIV infection and in chronic infection. The usefulness of these biomarkers to identify recent HIV infection will be evaluated, and also the possible association with progression to AIDS.

The development of a test to measure HIV incidence will facilitate both faster assessment within current prevention programmes and the design and implementation of measures for assessing new prevention interventions.

Study of atorvastatin’s impact in reducing inflammation associated with ageing in HIV-infected patients aged over 60 years receiving treatment based on protease inhibitors compared with treatment based on raltegravir. The two study groups (protease-inhibitor and raltegravir) will receive atorvastatin for 48 weeks. After the switch in treatment, patients will be followed up within 1 month and then every 3 months. In addition to the usual viral load checks, CD4 counts and laboratory analyses, cell, plasma and serum samples will also be collected during the study in order to conduct molecular studies. Densitometry will be performed to see if there are changes to the bone or to body fat distribution.