Genetic and Clinical Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Kidney Disease and Obesity in People of African Ancestry With HIV

At enrolment, just over 3,000 people of (self-identified) back ethnicity provided informed consent, a blood and urine sample, weight, height, and blood pressure measurements, and completed a short questionnaire about your health issues and lifestyle factors. HIV treatment history, including most recent and nadir CD4 count and HIV viral load, viral hepatitis status and kidney function measurements were recorded. Records for about 2,350 participants have been successfully linked to the United Kingdom Collaborative HIV Cohort (UK CHIC) which has collected data (demographics, clinical and laboratory parameters) on people with HIV since 1998 at selected clinics in the United Kingdom.

Several GEN-AFRICA sub-studies (CKD-AFRICA, Coronavirus disease (CoV)-AFRICA, Ob-AFRICA) have been conducted or are being planned. Each of these studies has received, or will be submitted for, regulatory approval. The studies have allowed or will allow collection of more detailed clinical information, additional biological samples, and/or through linkage with electronic clinical records, collection of longitudinal data on HIV (CD4, HIV viral load, AIDS-defining illnesses, and details of antiretroviral therapy), comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, cardiovascular events), measurements such as blood pressure and weight, and results of blood tests including measures of kidney function performed as part of clinical monitoring.

Data collected as part of the GEN-AFRICA study / sub-studies are stored at King's College Hospital under their GEN-AFRICA/CKD-AFRICA/CoV-AFRICA/Ob-AFRICA study identifiers (ID). Samples collected as part of these protocols are labeled by study ID and stored in the James Black Building, King's College London, London, UK, in compliance with human tissue act (HTA) standards. Prof. Frank post is the custodian of the data and samples and will be responsible for ensuring all study activity is compliant with relevant data protection and other policies.