Alzheimer’s pathology in older people with HIV in South Africa: protocol of a case‐control study examining mechanisms of inflammation and infection

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundDue to the success of modern antiretroviral therapy, people with HIV in South Africa are now living into older age. This provides an opportunity to study Alzheimer’s pathology in the context of chronic inflammation and infection. Here we present the protocol of a large case‐control study examining Alzheimer’s pathogenesis.Method250 South African people over 70 years of age will be recruited from a low‐income area of Cape Town with high HIV prevalence. Half will be living with HIV and half will be HIV‐negative and sociodemographically similar. Our primary outcome is CSF biomarkers of amyloidopathy. We have power to detect a 1.5‐fold increase in CSF amyloid positivity from 40% to 60%. Secondary analyses will compare clinical diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease, and correlate indicators of HIV‐related neuroinflammation with degree of amyloidopathy.ResultProtocol presentation only. Funding is from the Race Against Dementia.ConclusionThis unique cohort will provide a valuable resource for mechanistic studies of Alzheimer’s pathogenesis.