Early Anti-Retroviral Treatment in HIV- Infected Children

The duration of the study is 4 years from the start of enrollment with at least 4 years of follow-up for each participant. The study is conducted in South Africa, Mali, and Mozambique with an expected enrollment target of 200 participants (as a minimum). In this study, newly diagnosed HIV-infected children will start ART as early as possible, following local standards of care, and will be followed up to 4 years of age. Clinical and blood data for viral load, immunology, and serology will be collected at the 11 visits. HIV reservoir size and HIV-specific immune responses will be analyzed at visit 1 and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after enrollment. We will identify children with HIV infection eligible to participate in proof-of-concept treatment/remission studies.

A predictive model developed from European participant data will help identify children with low reservoir. These predictions will then be compared with available data from participants already enrolled with an excellent control to refine the model.

Inclusion criteria

• Perinatally infected infants who start ART at ≤90 days after diagnosis (HIV infection diagnosed and confirmed by molecular methods in 2 different samples, i.e., positive qualitative HIV DNA/RNA test).
• Breastfed-infected children found to be infected ≤ 90 days of age and who started ART at < 90 days after diagnosis. This group will be younger than six months of age at ART initiation.
• Caregivers (mother, if alive and available) able to provide informed consent.
• Able to take ART.

Exclusion criteria

• Second and successive RNA PCR negative
• Malignancy
• Current concomitant immunosuppressive therapy (including>15 days and >2 mg/kg/day of prednisone-equivalent).
• Caregivers withdraw consent
• Age >180 days.