[930] HIV/AIDS
The research projects conducted by the HIV/AIDS team are diverse. They include Swiss and international interventional clinical trials, epidemiological studies based on data from the Swiss HIV cohort study, as well as cohort studies focusing on metabolic effects associated with HAART. The clinical trials initiated by the research team focus on 1) progression of atherosclerosis in HIV patients under HAART after 48 weeks of lipid lowering drug intervention and 2) a Swiss multicenter trial designed to assess the need for a statin prescription in patients whose antiretroviral treatment was changed. We are also interested in the early detection of bone anomalies with the use of a high resolution scanner for the analysis of the bone microstructure. Other projects use the data of the Swiss cohort study to investigate patients with coronary heart disease, comparing their mortality with that of patients not infected with HIV. The center also participates actively in all the projects initiated by the Swiss cohort study. A cohort of patients with metabolic complications and lipodystrophy (LIPO and Metabolism Group) was established 5 years ago. This work has demonstrated that a model of integrated multidisciplinary care can be beneficial for patients with complex comorbidities. Our research group has a strong interest in research projects conducted in countries with limited resources. Partnerships have been established with 'Médecins Sans Frontières', WHO, the Gates Foundation, and hospitals or hospital networks (Esther). These partnerships allow us to study different epidemics and patient management systems; it also offers training opportunities and a large variety of study fields.