AzTrials
AzTrials

Chronic PainNCT04757987

An Observational Study of Distress, Immune Function, and Pain in HIV.

An observational study of Chronic Pain and HIV, run by University of Cape Town at 1 site in South Africa.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This case-control study focuses on pain in HIV, which is common despite antiretroviral therapy and compromises quality of life, mental health and daily functioning. Specifically, it will investigate the relationships between psychosocial distress, inflammation and pain in HIV. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Chronic Pain, HIV, Distress, Emotional
What is being tested?
Pain
How many people
107 participants
Where
1 siteSouth Africa
Study dates
11 Feb 2021to 31 May 2022
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Primary care clinic in South Africa.

Who may be able to join

  • HIV-positive with viral suppression
  • report either persistent pain or no pain at enrolment

Who cannot join

  • pregnancy
  • acute psychiatric condition requiring urgent care
  • cognitive impairment preventing full participation

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

South Africa1 site
  • Community Health Clinic [name withheld due to risk to participants]

    [City Withheld Due to Risk to Participants], Western Cape, 7784

Other trials in South Africa

About this study

Official title: An Observational Study of Shared Variation and Reciprocal Influences: Distress, Immune Function and Pain in HIV.

This case-control study focuses on pain in HIV, which is common despite antiretroviral therapy and compromises quality of life, mental health and daily functioning. Specifically, it will investigate the relationships between psychosocial distress, inflammation and pain in HIV.

Read the detailed description

We plan to recruit 100 people and follow them for 6 months, taking repeated measures. Participants who report persistent pain at enrolment will be assessed at 0 (baseline), 2, 4, and 6 months. Participants who report no pain at enrolment will be assessed at 0 (baseline) and 6 months. All participants will also be invited to participate in weekly remote assessment of selected self-reported outcomes.

Being tested
Pain
Keywords
Chronic pain, HIV, Innate Immune Response, Mental health, Hyperalgesia, secondary
Medical subject headings
Chronic Pain, Psychological Well-Being, Hyperalgesia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • PainOther

    As above

Study groups in NCT04757987
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Pain-freeReport persistent pain at enrolment
Persistent painReport no pain at enrolment
Receives: Other: Pain

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25-item questionnaire

    Psychosocial distress

    Measured: Baseline

  2. Provoked inflammatory response

    Multiplex assay

    Measured: Baseline

  3. Brief Pain Inventory

    Pain intensity

    Measured: Baseline

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Secondary hyperalgesia (surface area)

    Induced in a subgroup

    Measured: Baseline assessment only

  2. Brief Pain Inventory

    Pain locations

    Measured: Baseline

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Feb 2021
  2. Study start11 Feb 2021
  3. Primary completion24 Nov 2021
  4. Study completion31 May 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
107 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04757987
Sponsor's protocol ID
764/2019
Other IDs
K43TW011442
Status last verified
Nov 2023
First submitted
9 Feb 2021
Last updated
29 Nov 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided: The final dataset will include demographic, health history, psychological, and physiological data. An important priority when considering sharing of these data is participant confidentiality, particularly considering the stigma and personal social risk associated with HIV+ status in South Africa. If the data can be adequately stripped of identifiers so as to eliminate risk to participants, then the final, de-identified data set will be made available to qualified users through a data sharing platform, and subject to a sharing agreement that includes (1) a commitment to using the data only for research purposes and not to identify any individual participant; and (2) a commitment to securing the data using appropriate computer technology.

Publications

  • Madden VJ, Mqadi L, Arendse G, Bedwell GJ, Msolo N, Lesosky M, Hutchinson MR, Peter JG, Schrepf A, Parker R, Edwards RR, Joska JA. Provoked cytokine response is not associated with distress or induced secondary hyperalgesia in people with suppressed HIV. Pain. 2025 Dec 1;166(12):e830-e843. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003748. Epub 2025 Aug 7.

    PubMed 40788259
  • Madden VJ, Msolo N, Mqadi L, Lesosky M, Bedwell GJ, Hutchinson MR, Peter JG, Parker R, Schrepf A, Edwards RR, Joska JA. Study protocol: an observational study of distress, immune function and persistent pain in HIV. BMJ Open. 2022 Jun 3;12(6):e059723. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059723.

    PubMed 36691234

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Chronic Pain and HIV, run by University of Cape Town at 1 site in South Africa.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Nov 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in South Africa. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25-item questionnaire (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04757987, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Nov 2023.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in