The Chicago WIHS cohort consists of 223 HIV infected and 47 HIV uninfected women in 4 sites; the population of the cohort reflects the epidemic in women in Chicago and the nation. The collaborating institutions and investigators have developed an effective and efficient research infrastructure, with strong and consistent impact on the local and national levels. As a part of the national multi-center prospective study, the Chicago consortium continues to investigate a large number of the manifestations and ffects of HIV: including clinical effects, disease progression, as well as immunological, virological, psychosocial and behavioral impact. For WIHS II, the specific aims of the Chicago Consortium are to: 1) Determine how the immunologic, virologic, genetic, coinfections, sexual and drug behaviors, class, and social support system affects the progression of HIV disease in women; 2) Determine the rate of emergence of Protease Inhibitor Resistance; 3) Define the gender-specific characteristics of HIV disease in women, with particular attention to cervical dysplasia, HPV, the virology immunology of the genital tract, gynecologic infections, and hormonal influences; 4) Define the effect of early pregnancy on HIV disease and coincident infections; 5) Describe the role of malignancies to HIV infection; 6) Describe the correlation between oral health and HIV infection; 7) Identify the impact on HIV on the psychological and social status of women including quality of life, depression, neuropsychologic functioning and family interactions; 8) Characterize factors that may interact to influence experiences of HIV infected women in terms of their access to care, compliance with treatment and psychological and social outcomes; 9) Identify activities, attitudes and immune responses which lead at-risk women in the WIHS seronegative control group to seroconvert while others do not; and 10) Develop methods to increase the enrollment and retention of women, ethnic minorities, and socially disenfranchised individuals in clinical research.
These aims are possible to accomplish because of the cooperation of the women of WIHS and the interconnected synergy which occurs among the large and dedicated group of clinical scientists who are our investigators.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 627 publications
