This proposal describes a 5-year training and research program that will allow the investigator to achieve her goal of becoming an independent patient-oriented researcher. She will use her expertise in international clinical research to improve reproductive health and survival of African women living with HIV-1. The proposed program will build on the candidate's extensive experience with international clinical research by improving her skills in study design and epidemiologic analysis of longitudinal data and improving her understanding of immunology and its application in patient-oriented research. The training plan incorporates an outstanding mentoring environment and involves collaboration between clinical researchers at the University of Washington and the University of Nairobi. Research Plan - HIV-1 infected pregnant women and contraception users have increased HIV-1 genital shedding and disease progression, but the mechanism behind these changes is poorly understood. Systemic T-cell immune activation has been linked to shedding and progression. We propose to measure systemic and local immune activation among these two groups of women.
Aim 1) to determine whether postpartum hormonal contraception use affects systemic immune activation markers;
Aim 2) to determine whether users of postpartum contraception have increased local immune activation, increased genital tract or breast milk HIV-1 shedding, and Aim 3) to describe differences in systemic immune activation in African HIV-1-seropositive and seronegative women throughout pregnancy and postpartum. The results of these analyses can be used to create a clearer picture of immunologic function in pregnancy and the postpartum period among HIV-1-infected women in Africa, to clarify mechanisms by which pregnancy and hormonal contraception may impact genital and breast milk HIV-1 shedding and disease progression, and ultimately to optimize recommendations for promoting appropriate family planning among these women. This opportunity will seed a larger research program to understand interactions of contraception, the immune system and HIV-1, and to use this knowledge to improve women's reproductive health.

Public Health Relevance

Alison Roxby, MD, MSc is a Senior Fellow in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington. For this K23 award, the career development plan and proposed clinical research will allow the candidate mentored learning in immunology and epidemiology while investigating whether progesterone-based contraception and pregnancy are associated with increased local and systemic immune activation in Kenyan HIV-1-seropositive women. The research findings will elucidate progesterone's immunomodulatory properties and will form the basis of the candidate's independent career conducting patient-oriented research to improve the reproductive health of women with HIV.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
4K23HD071788-05
Application #
9090131
Study Section
AIDS Clinical Studies and Epidemiology Study Section (ACE)
Program Officer
Chakhtoura, Nahida Abdo
Project Start
2012-08-20
Project End
2017-06-30
Budget Start
2016-07-01
Budget End
2017-06-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Christensen, Erin S; Jain, Rupali; Roxby, Alison C (2017) Abacavir/Dolutegravir/Lamivudine (Triumeq)-Induced Liver Toxicity in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patient. Open Forum Infect Dis 4:ofx122
Mark, Jennifer; Kinuthia, John; Roxby, Alison C et al. (2017) Uptake of Home-Based Syphilis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing Among Male Partners of Pregnant Women in Western Kenya. Sex Transm Dis 44:533-538
Muriuki, Eric Munene; Kimani, Joshua; Machuki, Zipporah et al. (2017) Sexual Assault and HIV Postexposure Prophylaxis at an Urban African Hospital. AIDS Patient Care STDS 31:255-260
Roxby, Alison C; Fredricks, David N; Odem-Davis, Katherine et al. (2016) Changes in Vaginal Microbiota and Immune Mediators in HIV-1-Seronegative Kenyan Women Initiating Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 71:359-66
Roxby, Alison C; Ben-Youssef, Leïla; Marx, Grace et al. (2016) Dual contraceptive method use in HIV-serodiscordant Kenyan couples. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 42:264-270
Guthrie, Brandon L; Introini, Andrea; Roxby, Alison C et al. (2015) Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Use Is Associated With Elevated Innate Immune Effector Molecules in Cervicovaginal Secretions of HIV-1-Uninfected Women. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 69:1-10
Drake, Alison L; Wilson, Suzanne K; Kinuthia, John et al. (2015) Health care-seeking behaviour of HIV-infected mothers and male partners in Nairobi, Kenya. Glob Public Health 10:1215-26
Roxby, Alison C; Unger, Jennifer A; Slyker, Jennifer A et al. (2014) A lifecycle approach to HIV prevention in African women and children. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 11:119-27
Slyker, Jennifer; Farquhar, Carey; Atkinson, Claire et al. (2014) Compartmentalized cytomegalovirus replication and transmission in the setting of maternal HIV-1 infection. Clin Infect Dis 58:564-72
Roxby, Alison C; Atkinson, Claire; Asbjörnsdóttir, Kristjana et al. (2014) Maternal valacyclovir and infant cytomegalovirus acquisition: a randomized controlled trial among HIV-infected women. PLoS One 9:e87855

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