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Multicenter Study
. 2018 Mar 29;13(3):e0191791.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191791. eCollection 2018.

The 'COmorBidity in Relation to AIDS' (COBRA) cohort: Design, methods and participant characteristics

Davide De Francesco  1 , Ferdinand W Wit  2   3 , James H Cole  4 , Neeltje A Kootstra  2 , Alan Winston  4 , Caroline A Sabin  1 , Jonathan Underwood  4 , Rosan A van Zoest  2 , Judith Schouten  2 , Katherine W Kooij  2 , Maria Prins  5 , Giovanni Guaraldi  6 , Matthan W A Caan  2 , David Burger  7 , Claudio Franceschi  8 , Claude Libert  9 , Alexander Bürkle  10 , Peter Reiss  2 ; COmorBidity in Relation to AIDS (COBRA) collaboration
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

The 'COmorBidity in Relation to AIDS' (COBRA) cohort: Design, methods and participant characteristics

Davide De Francesco et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Persons living with HIV on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) may be at increased risk of the development of age-associated non-communicable comorbidities (AANCC) at relatively young age. It has therefore been hypothesised that such individuals, despite effective cART, may be prone to accelerated aging.

Objective: The COmorBidity in Relation to AIDS (COBRA) cohort study was designed to investigate the potential causal link between HIV and AANCC, amongst others, in a cohort of middle-aged individuals with HIV with sustained viral suppression on cART and otherwise comparable HIV-negative controls.

Methods: Longitudinal cohort study of HIV-positive subjects ≥45 years of age, with sustained HIV suppression on cART recruited from two large European HIV treatment centres and similarly-aged HIV-negative controls recruited from sexual health centres and targeted community groups. Both HIV-positive and HIV-negative subjects were assessed at study entry and again at follow-up after 2 years.

Results: Of the 134 HIV-positive individuals with a median (IQR) age of 56 (51, 62) years recruited, 93% were male, 88% of white ethnicity and 86% were men who have sex with men (MSM). Similarly, the 79 HIV-negative subjects had a median (IQR) age of 57 (52, 64) and 92% were male, 97% of white ethnicity and 80% were MSM.

Conclusions: The results from the COBRA study will be a significant resource to understand the link between HIV and AANCC and the pathogenic mechanisms underlying this link. COBRA will inform future development of novel prognostic tools for earlier diagnosis of AANCC and of novel interventions which, as an adjunct to cART, may prevent AANCC.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: PR through his institution has received independent scientific grant support from Gilead Sciences, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc, Merck & Co, Bristol-Myers Squibb and ViiV Healthcare; he has served on a scientific advisory board for Gilead Sciences and on a data safety monitoring committee for Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc for which his institution has received remuneration; he has chaired a scientific symposium by ViiV Healthcare, for which his institution has received remuneration. RZ has received travel grants from Gilead Sciences, and was a speaker at an event sponsored by Gilead Sciences for which her institution received remuneration. KK has received travel grants from Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare, was a speaker at an event sponsored by Gilead Sciences and served on a scientific advisory board for Gilead Sciences. There are no patents, products in development, or marketed products to declare. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flowchart of COBRA study participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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