Factors Associated With Advanced HIV and Poor Nutrition Among People Living With HIV

Factors Associated With Advanced HIV Disease and Poor Nutrition Among People Living With HIV: A Hospital-based Study

Aim of the work:

1. To determine the frequency of advanced HIV among PLWH in Assiut University Hospital.
2. To assess the nutritional patterns and frequency of poor nutrition among PLWH.
3. To evaluate factors associated with advanced HIV disease and poor nutrition among PLWH.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Advanced HIV Disease; Poor Nutriyion Among HIV Patients

Detailed Description

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an RNA virus that attacks the human body's immune system, which results, in advanced cases, in expression of opportunistic infections (1). HIV infection represents a global public health burden (2, 3). In Egypt, in 2022, about 34,000 people (<0.1%) were positive for HIV (4). There is 25-30% annual increase of newly confirmed HIV cases in Egypt over the last 10 years (5).

The WHO defines advanced HIV disease as having CD4+ T-cell count <200 cell/mm3 or having an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related infection (stage 3 or 4 of HIV infection) regardless of the CD4+ T-cell count (1).

The WHO reported, in 2022, that 630,000 people living with HIV (PLWH) died from AIDS-related diseases worldwide (which is 51% fewer than those in 2010) (2, 3, 6). In Egypt, the AIDS-related deaths increased from <100 PLWH in 1990 to <1000 PLWH in 2021 (5).

PLWH are usually malnourished due to opportunistic infections, poor food intake, changes in metabolic activity or chronic illnesses. Malnutrition leads to more impairment of the immune system and further disease progression (7).

According to 2023 Global Hunger index, Egypt is at a moderate level of food insecurity, ranking 57 out of 125 countries. 14.4% of the Egyptian population are food insecure (8).

In Egypt, there is lack of data about the frequency of advanced HIV disease and the nutritional status among PLWH and associated factors. Monitoring these factors could help in early treatment of HIV infection, prevention of further virus transmission and enhancement of the nutritional pattern among PLWH.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 100

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Salma Hussein Badry, Resident doctor; Phone Number: +201123254745; Email: Salma.16266321@med.aun.edu.eg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

People living with HIV disease who attend HIV Counselling Clinic and other departments at Assiut University Hospitals

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) Newly diagnosed people living with HIV (PLWH), (2) Patients previously diagnosed with HIV but non-compliant to treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) PLWH compliant on ART, (2) PLWH who refuse to participate in the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
People living with Advanced HIV disease; Factors associated with advanced HIV disease
People with Early HIV disease; Factors associated with early HIV disease

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Factors associated with advanced HIV disease and poor nutrition among people living with HIV disease.	To study factors associated with advanced HIV disease and poor nutrition among people living with HIV	Febraury 2025 to December 2026

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assiut University
• Investigators: Study Director: Haidi KaramAllah Ramadan, Assisstant professor, Assiut University; Principal Investigator: Ehab Fawzy Abdou, Professor, Assiut University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Boutros S, Skordis J. HIV/AIDS surveillance in Egypt: current status and future challenges. East Mediterr Health J. 2010 Mar;16(3):251-8.
• Rezazadeh L, Ostadrahimi A, Tutunchi H, Naemi Kermanshahi M, Pourmoradian S. Nutrition interventions to address nutritional problems in HIV-positive patients: translating knowledge into practice. J Health Popul Nutr. 2023 Sep 8;42(1):94. doi: 10.1186/s41043-023-00440-z.
• Ghazy RM, Al Awaidy S, Taha SHN. Trends of HIV indicators in Egypt from 1990 to 2021: time-series analysis and forecast toward UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. BMC Public Health. 2023 Apr 1;23(1):625. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15490-5.

Helpful Links

• WHO page about HIV, available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvb-zBhCmARIsAAfUI2sL_nGP-V-oca55dZe0OroljeQgljfFO5_s1FhbC6xFMxF_mWBCr

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): February 22, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 25, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: AIDS; PLWH; Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; People living with HIV; Advanced HIV disease; Nutrition in HIV disease
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Blood-Borne Infections; Urogenital Diseases; Genital Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Communicable Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Lentivirus Infections; Retroviridae Infections; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Slow Virus Diseases; HIV Infections; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: Advanced HIV, poor nutrition

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Study Data/Documents

1. Study Protocol
   Information identifier: 042025201171

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No