Elite Controller and ART-Treated HIV+ Statin Versus ASA Treatment Intervention Study

Despite dramatic improvements in mortality with antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-infected persons remain at risk of developing non-infectious complications, including cardiovascular, renal, and neurological disease. A small subset of the HIV-infected population achieve durable control of HIV virus in the absence of ART. These individuals, termed elite controllers (ECs), remain ART na(SqrRoot) ve, have stable CD4 T cell counts for many years and have no history of opportunistic infections. Despite the lack of AIDS complications, recent evidence suggests ECs may exhibit heightened immune activation that may contribute to a potentially increased risk for non-infectious complications, similar to successfully treated progressors.

In the current 2 group, randomized, open label trial, we intend to study the effects of a lipid lowering agent vs aspirin (ASA) on immune activation in HIV-1 infected participants. One group will consist of ECs who are HIV-1 infected, maintain HIV-RNA levels of less than the LLD of commercially available assays in the absence of ART, have no history of ART or opportunistic infections (OIs) and have stable CD4 T cell counts for greater than 3 years. The second group will enroll HIV-1 infected Treated Progressors (henceforth referred to as ART <50) who have maintained HIV-RNA below the limit of detection in commercially available assays (<40, <48, or <50 copies/mL) for greater than 3 years on ART (treatment duration greater than 4 years). Up to 2 months after the screening and enrollment visit, each group will enter a 3 month observation period (to establish baseline values for biomarkers/cellular markers). After 3 months, participants from each group will be randomized to either ASA, 81 mg PO daily, or atorvastatin (ATV), 40 mg (dose adjusted for subjects on antiretroviral regimens with significant interactions, and will be treated for 9 months, followed by 3 months of a wash out period (see Figure 1). The primary end point will be change of sCD14 after 9 months of study intervention from Month 3 to Month 12 in each treatment arm, with groups combined (EC and ART <50). Secondary objectives will be to compare changes in soluble biomarkers (sCD14, IL-6, D-dimer, hsCRP, sTF, sCD163 and other relevad treatment arms (ASA vs statin and EC vs ART<50 and with groups combined), to evaluate cardiovascular (CV) disease prevalence in EC vs ART<50 and with groups combined), to evaluate cardiovascular (CV) disease prevalence in EC vs ART <50 by MR imaging of carotids, to determine MR measurements and correlations with biomarkers and cellular activation markers, and to investigate changes in plasma viremia as measured by single copy assay over time.