The research objectives of the University of Cincinnati (UCINN-ACTU) are to: 1. participate in trials designed to study drugs for the treatment of HIV infection, and the treatment and prevention of opportunistic infections, with a special emphasis on Pneumocystis carinii (Pc). 2. investigate management strategies which maximize the quality of life of HIV patients, utilize nurses effectively, and minimize health care costs. 3. study the pharmacokinetics of anti-HIV drugs to develop regimens which maximize efficacy and patient acceptance, and minimize toxicity and cost. 4. describe the natural history of HIV infection in the era of improving treatment strategies. 5. make research findings applicable to the widest population spectrum possible by including subjects from all ethnic, gender and age groups. 6. provide high quality virologic and pharmacologic laboratory support to the ACTG effort. 7. continue applied research in the two focus areas of the UCINN ACTU, antiviral pharmacokinetics and PCP diagnosis and prognosis. To meet the above objectives, the UCINN ACTU will continue to enroll the maximum number of subjects into multicenter trials of the ACTG, with special emphasis on Pc studies and intracellular nucleoside pharmacokinetic studies. In order to assure that maximum enrollment of minorities, women, and children occurs from the greater Cincinnati HIV community, the UCINN ACTU will be tightly linked with DHHS funded HIV patient care system which ties the ACTU to all public health clinics in the area. Specifically, the obstetrical practices of these clinics and of the University of Cincinnati OB and High Risk Pregnancy Clinics will be targeted for aggressive risk assessment, voluntary HIV testing, and clinical trials enrollment of pregnant women, and through secondary contact identification, their families. A Women and Children's Family Center has been created at University Hospital which provides HIV specific care to all members of an HIV challenged family at the same location and time. This mechanism facilitates the enrollment and retention of these hard to study populations. The UCINN/ACTU has extensive experience in operating an integrated patient care and clinical research program, with 396 study subjects enrolled in the first four years of the ACTU operation, and only one lost to followup. We expect this record to continue.
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