# Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) 2020

> **NIH NIH P01** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · 2021 · $322,285

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Each year, there are more than 1 million pregnant women living with HIV (PWLHIV) who receive antiretroviral
medications (ARVs) for treatment and perinatal and postnatal HIV transmission prevention, with new ARVs
introduced at a rapid pace. Although maternal use of ARVs has successfully reduced perinatal HIV
transmission, there remains a clear need to monitor the safety of in utero ARV for infant and child health.
PHACS 2020 is designed as a Program Project P01 grant, consisting of four support Cores and 2-4 research
projects. This multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and synergistic P01 will address the most
critical scientific questions for children, youth and young adults exposed to or living with HIV.
This supplement specifically addresses the research agenda proposed in the prime award:
PHACS2020 Adolescent Master Protocol Up Series (AmpUP). Over 300,000 women die each year from
squamous cell cancers of the cervix caused by persistent infection with high-risk (i.e. oncogenic) human
papillomavirus (hrHPV). The HPV vaccine has been a transforming event, capable of preventing cervical
cancer globally. Although HIV infection is an established risk factor for HPV-associated cancers in adults, the
natural history of HPV among young women living with perinatal HIV (YWLPHIV) is not well established. In a
recent PHACS study of HPV-vaccinated youth, YWLPHIV had lower HPV antibody titers than perinatally HIV
exposed but uninfected young women (YWLPHEU) and high rates of abnormal cytology. It is essential to
understand factors associated with persistence of hrHPV vaccine and non-vaccine HPV types in HPV
vaccinated YWLHIV. Vaginal microbiome dysbiosis has been associated with hrHPV persistence, possibly
through dysbiosis-induced inflammation and consequent epithelial disruption with release of known
carcinogenic products. In this study, we propose to take advantage of PHACS unique infrastructure and
biorepository. From assays on annual vaginal samples collected by women in PHACS III, we will identify
women with hrHPV persistence vs clearance and determine the role of microbial dysbiosis (16S rRNA
sequencing) and inflammation (multiplex cytokine assays metabolic profiles) on hrHPV persistence in
YWLPHIV and YWLPHEU who have been vaccinated against HPV. The results of this study will be critical for
developing treatment strategies (such as the use of vaginal probiotics) and cervical cancer screening
guidelines for WLPHIV in resourced and resource limited settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10290224
- **Project number:** 3P01HD103133-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Ellen Gould Chadwick
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $322,285
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-01-15 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10290224

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10290224, Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) 2020 (3P01HD103133-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10290224. Licensed CC0.

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