Determine the Prevalence and Severity of Asthma in HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) Infected Patients

HIV and Asthma in the Post-ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) Era

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and severity of asthma in patients with HIV. To determine the immunological phenotype of HIV-infected patients with asthma.

Prospectively clinically phenotype and the prevalence of asthma in HIV infected patients in the Duke ID Clinic

• HIV infected asthmatic subjects meeting clinical definitions for asthma compared to HIV uninfected asthma subjects identified at the DAAAC and HIV infected non-asthmatic subjects.
• Prospective immunological phenotyping - HIV-infected asthma subjects prospectively identified and clinically phenotyped compared to HIV-uninfected asthma subjects identified at the DAAAC and HIV infected non-asthma subjects.

Regarding the sampling method of probability sample: All samples for HIV infected asthmatic patients, HIV uninfected asthmatic patients and HIV infected non-asthmatics patients will be analyzed.

Retrospectively determine overall asthma prevalence and severity among HIV-infected patients. Retrospective immunological phenotyping (circulating cytokines) of HIV-infected patients utilizing available specimens in the Duke HIV Specimen Biorepository

• HIV-infected asthmatic subjects meeting asthma definition compared to overall asthma prevalence in U.S. population
• HIV-infected asthma subjects meeting asthma definitions compared to matched HIV-infected non-asthma subjects

Inclusion Criteria:

• HIV infected asthmatic and non-asthmatic adults ≥18 years
• HIV uninfected asthma adults ≥18 years
• Females of childbearing potential have to be using medically acceptable contraceptive method for the duration of the study.
• Willing and able to give informed consent and adhere to visit/protocol schedules.
• Negative pregnancy test in women of childbearing potential
• For asthma patients: known or possible diagnosis of asthma for at least one year

Exclusion Criteria:

• Antibiotic administration for upper respiratory infection within the prior 30 days
• Greater than 10 pack a year smoking history
• No prior use of steroids (systemic) within the past 3 months
• Underlying illnesses that may result in altered lung function
• Students or employees who are under direct supervision of any Project or Core PI/Director.
• Pregnant or nursing mothers.
• Poorly controlled concomitant conditions as determined by the investigator.
• Subjects who have had an elective procedure (for example, colonoscopy, cystoscopy, etc.) within less than 2 weeks of the procedure date cannot be enrolled in the HIV Asthma study
• Subjects must delay enrollment by 2 weeks into the HIV Asthma study if they have received a single dose of systemic steroids