2 research outputs found
Cohort Profile: A European Multidisciplinary Network for the Fight against HIV Drug Resistance (EuResist Network)
: The EuResist cohort was established in 2006 with the purpose of developing a clinical decision-support tool predicting the most effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) for persons living with HIV (PLWH), based on their clinical and virological data. Further to continuous extensive data collection from several European countries, the EuResist cohort later widened its activity to the more general area of antiretroviral treatment resistance with a focus on virus evolution. The EuResist cohort has retrospectively enrolled PLWH, both treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced, under clinical follow-up from 1998, in nine national cohorts across Europe and beyond, and this article is an overview of its achievement. A clinically oriented treatment-response prediction system was released and made available online in 2008. Clinical and virological data have been collected from more than one hundred thousand PLWH, allowing for a number of studies on the response to treatment, selection and spread of resistance-associated mutations and the circulation of viral subtypes. Drawing from its interdisciplinary vocation, EuResist will continue to investigate clinical response to antiretroviral treatment against HIV and monitor the development and circulation of HIV drug resistance in clinical settings, along with the development of novel drugs and the introduction of new treatment strategies. The support of artificial intelligence in these activities is essential
EuCARE-POSTCOVID Study: a multicentre cohort study on long-term post-COVID-19 manifestations
BACKGROUND: Post-COVID-19 condition refers to persistent or new onset symptoms occurring three months after acute COVID-19, which are unrelated to alternative diagnoses. Symptoms include fatigue, breathlessness, palpitations, pain, concentration difficulties ("brain fog"), sleep disorders, and anxiety/depression. The prevalence of post-COVID-19 condition ranges widely across studies, affecting 10-20% of patients and reaching 50-60% in certain cohorts, while the associated risk factors remain poorly understood. METHODS: This multicentre cohort study, both retrospective and prospective, aims to assess the incidence and risk factors of post-COVID-19 condition in a cohort of recovered patients. Secondary objectives include evaluating the association between circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and the risk of post-COVID-19 condition, as well as assessing long-term residual organ damage (lung, heart, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system) in relation to patient characteristics and virology (variant and viral load during the acute phase). Participants will include hospitalised and outpatient COVID-19 patients diagnosed between 01/03/2020 and 01/02/2025 from 8 participating centres. A control group will consist of hospitalised patients with respiratory infections other than COVID-19 during the same period. Patients will be followed up at the post-COVID-19 clinic of each centre at 2-3, 6-9, and 12-15 months after clinical recovery. Routine blood exams will be conducted, and patients will complete questionnaires to assess persisting symptoms, fatigue, dyspnoea, quality of life, disability, anxiety and depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders. DISCUSSION: This study aims to understand post-COVID-19 syndrome's incidence and predictors by comparing pandemic waves, utilising retrospective and prospective data. Gender association, especially the potential higher prevalence in females, will be investigated. Symptom tracking via questionnaires and scales will monitor duration and evolution. Questionnaires will also collect data on vaccination, reinfections, and new health issues. Biological samples will enable future studies on post-COVID-19 sequelae mechanisms, including inflammation, immune dysregulation, and viral reservoirs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT05531773