Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an emerging cause of chronic diarrhea in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in resource-limited settings. Infection with EAEC is associated with malnutrition and weight loss in children. In HIV-infected patients, even with antiretroviral therapy (ART), malnutrition and weight loss are important predictors of mortality. Establishing factors that contribute to malnutrition and weight loss in HIV-infected patients is essential. EAEC may play a role, but currently the impacts of EAEC infection on HIV-infected patients treated with ART are not clear nor are there established management strategies. I recently evaluated stool samples from patients in a case-control study in Port au Prince. For the first time, EAEC was the most commonly identified pathogen in Haitian AIDS patients with diarrhea. In addition, EAEC was associated with weight loss in the first month of therapy. The proposed study will carefully examine EAEC infection in HIV-infected adults initiating ART. I hypothesize that patients with diarrhea who are infected with EAEC will have worse clinical outcomes when compared to patients with diarrhea but uninfected with EAEC and to those without diarrhea. The primary outcome will be % of patients in each group with weight loss at one month, an important predictor of mortality. Secondary outcomes will include survival to 48 weeks. In addition, I will evaluate whether bacterial and patient genotypes correlate with outcomes. The factors evaluated will include the prevalence of genes encoding bacterial virulence factors, the production of bacterial biofilm, the prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) that confer susceptibility to EAEC infection in the patients, and patient production of intestinal inflammatory markers. In the first three years of the award, I will pursue training in the evaluation of bacterial causes and host responses to enteric infections and in clinical trial design and research ethics in resource-limited settings. The sponsor and cosponsor have significant experience in these areas and will guide this training. Concurrently, I will build on established relationships with Haitian colleagues to set up and carry out the proposed study. The results of the study will establish the impact of EAEC infection on HIV-infected patients in a resource-limited country and inform the development of clinical strategies to manage it.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23AI077339-03
Application #
7883251
Study Section
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Research Review Committee (AIDS)
Program Officer
Bacon, Melanie C
Project Start
2008-07-07
Project End
2013-06-30
Budget Start
2010-07-01
Budget End
2011-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$128,817
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Virginia
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
065391526
City
Charlottesville
State
VA
Country
United States
Zip Code
22904
McManus, Kathleen A; Rodney, Robert C; Rhodes, Anne et al. (2016) Affordable Care Act Qualified Health Plan Enrollment for AIDS Drug Assistance Program Clients: Virginia's Experience and Best Practices. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 32:885-91
McManus, Kathleen A; McGonigle, Keanan M; Engelhard, Carolyn L et al. (2016) PPACA and Low-Income People Living with HIV: 2014 Qualified Health Plan Enrollment in a Medicaid Nonexpansion State. South Med J 109:371-7
McManus, Kathleen A; Rhodes, Anne; Bailey, Steven et al. (2016) Affordable Care Act Qualified Health Plan Coverage: Association With Improved HIV Viral Suppression for AIDS Drug Assistance Program Clients in a Medicaid Nonexpansion State. Clin Infect Dis 63:396-403
Mitchell, Emma McKim; Steeves, Richard; Dillingham, Rebecca (2015) Cruise ships and bush medicine: globalization on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua and effects on the health of Creole women. Public Health Nurs 32:237-45
Liu, Jie; Winstead-Derlega, Christopher; Houpt, Eric et al. (2014) Pre-earthquake non-epidemic Vibrio cholerae in Haiti. J Infect Dev Ctries 8:120-2
Mellor, Jonathan; Abebe, Lydia; Ehdaie, Beeta et al. (2014) Modeling the sustainability of a ceramic water filter intervention. Water Res 49:286-99
McManus, Kathleen A; Pinkerton, Relana; Dillingham, Rebecca (2014) Effects of recent Virginia AIDS Drug Assistance Program policy changes on diabetes and hyperlipidemia control in people living with HIV. SAGE Open Med 2:
Ingersoll, Karen; Dillingham, Rebecca; Reynolds, George et al. (2014) Development of a personalized bidirectional text messaging tool for HIV adherence assessment and intervention among substance abusers. J Subst Abuse Treat 46:66-73
Schafer, Katherine R; Gupta, Shruti; Dillingham, Rebecca (2013) HIV-infected men who have sex with men and histories of childhood sexual abuse: implications for health and prevention. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care 24:288-98
McManus, Kathleen A; Engelhard, Carolyn L; Dillingham, Rebecca (2013) Current challenges to the United states' AIDS drug assistance program and possible implications of the affordable care act. AIDS Res Treat 2013:350169

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