Grant: Project Grant - Priority Announcement - HIV/AIDS

Effective drugs are now available to treat the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), such that life expectancy of people with HIV can be similar to that of the general population. However, this allows more opportunity to develop other chronic conditions. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord and, despite extensive work, its cause is poorly understood. Evidence suggests that common viral infections, such as the Epstein-Barr virus or human herpesvirus 6 may play a role. More recently, retroviruses, such as HIV, have been suggested. However, no virus has yet been identified as a direct cause, and there is very little understanding of how viruses might change the risk of MS, or how drugs that target these viruses might influence the risk of developing MS or subsequent health outcomes in MS. The goals of this study are to assess whether infection with HIV, or the drugs used to treat HIV, have the potential to change the risk of developing MS. Furthermore, we will describe the use of health care services, MS and HIV drug prescriptions, and survival in people who have both MS and HIV. We will achieve these goals by using health-related data that have already been collected by doctors and pharmacists, including neurologists and HIV specialists, for over 2 decades in three different countries (Canada, Sweden, and USA). Together, this information allows us to access very large groups of people with and without HIV and MS. This study will provide valuable knowledge about the role of retroviruses, such as HIV, and the drugs used to treat HIV, on the risk of developing MS and on use of health services, drug treatments and survival for those with both HIV and MS. If we identify a link between HIV or the HIV drug treatments and the risk of MS, this will contribute to our understanding of how MS develops. Our study may also help in the advancement of future strategies to prevent MS or modify health outcomes in MS.