A Study to Evaluate the Effects of Giving IL-2 Alone to HIV-Positive Patients With CD4 Cell Counts of at Least 350 Cells/mm3 Who Do Not Wish to Receive Anti-HIV Therapy

A Randomized, Open Label Phase II Study of Subcutaneous Interleukin-2 (Proleukin) Alone vs No Therapy in Patients With HIV Infection and at Least 350 CD4+ Cells/mm3 Who Do Not Wish to Receive Treatment With Antiretroviral Therapy

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of giving interleukin-2 (IL-2) alone to HIV-positive patients with CD4 cell counts greater than 350 cells/mm3 who do not wish to receive anti-HIV (antiretroviral) therapy. This study will also determine if IL-2 given alone can increase CD4 cell counts or decrease the level of HIV in the blood.

IL-2 (a protein found in the blood that helps boost the immune system) can result in increases in CD4 cell count (immune system cells that fight infection). IL-2 is normally given in combination with antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV infection; however, some HIV patients do not wish to take antiretrovirals. This study asks if it is safe and effective to take IL-2 alone to treat HIV infection.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Previous studies have shown that interleukin-2, when given under the skin, results in CD4+ cell count increases, and may impact upon disease progression. A Phase III trial is the next step in the development of these efficacy trials. One question, however, has not been addressed in previous IL-2 studies: whether it is both safe and reasonable to allow prospective IL-2 recipients the autonomy of choosing whether or not to take antiretrovirals in addition to their cytokine therapy. This trial addresses that concern.

In this open-label study, 36 patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment groups of 12 patients each:

Group I: IL-2 every 12 hours for 5 days every 8 weeks. Group II: IL-2 every 12 hours for 5 days every 8 weeks (higher IL-2 dose). Group III: Control group receiving no therapy. Patients must complete a minimum of 3 8-week cycles of treatment. Twelve patients are randomized to each arm. Following study completion, Group I and II patients may elect to continue receiving IL-2 during follow-up or as part of an additional protocol based on the results of this study.

[AS PER AMENDMENT 2/12/99: Patients who have received study medication and/or routine protocol visits and procedures for at least 6 months with acceptable compliance are eligible for continued follow-up in an extension phase. The extension phase will continue for at least 1 year from the date when the last patient has been enrolled in the extension phase. Patients originally randomized to IL-2 may continue to receive IL-2 during the extension period, with IL-2 therapy guided on an individual basis. Patients originally randomized to no therapy may continue to receive no therapy during the extension phase.] [AS PER AMENDMENT 7/11/00: Patients demonstrating acceptable compliance with routine visits and procedures during the initial treatment phase and/or extension phase may participate in the long-term follow-up phase which requires follow-up visits at least every 4 months for approximately 5 years. Patients originally randomized to Group 1 or 2 may continue to receive IL-2, with IL-2 therapy guided on an individual basis, during the long-term follow-up phase. Patients originally randomized to Group 3 may continue to receive no therapy during the long-term follow-up phase.]

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

36

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

      • London, United Kingdom
        • Kobler Ctr. of Chelsea Westminster Hosp. C604-030 CRS

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria

Patients may be eligible for this study if they:

  • Are HIV-positive.
  • Have had at least one CD4 cell count greater than or equal to 350 cells/mm3 within 30 days of study entry.
  • Are at least 18 years old.
  • Agree to abstinence or use of effective methods of birth control 1 month before and during the study.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients will not be eligible for this study if they:

  • Have a history of a potentially life-threatening autoimmune or inflammatory disease.
  • Abuse alcohol or drugs, or have any serious psychiatric or medical illnesses that would affect their safety or ability to complete the study.
  • Have a history of an AIDS-defining illness.
  • Have a history of cancer, other than Kaposi's sarcoma.
  • Have ever taken IL-2 or any antiretroviral medications.
  • Are pregnant.
  • Are taking certain medications, including anti-seizure medications.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Michael Youle
  • Study Chair: Jorge Tavel

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2004

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 2, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 30, 2001

First Posted (Estimate)

August 31, 2001

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

October 29, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 27, 2021

Last Verified

October 1, 2021

More Information

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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