Using a blood alcohol marker (PEth) to help people with HIV drink less and stay on treatment
The Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) Results Communication (PERC) Study
Using a blood test called PEth to give people living with HIV clearer feedback that may help them reduce drinking and keep taking their HIV medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11098692 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have HIV and drink alcohol, this project would add a blood test called PEth to the usual brief counseling so you can see an objective measure of recent drinking. Counselors would share the PEth results with you, use them to set personalized goals, and monitor progress over time. The approach pairs a short alcohol-focused intervention with objective testing to boost self-awareness and motivation for change. The work is being carried out in HIV clinics in Uganda where unhealthy drinking and HIV are common.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV who receive care at participating clinics in Uganda and who report or are suspected to have unhealthy alcohol use would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who do not drink, who are not in HIV care at participating sites, or who decline blood testing or counseling are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Showing an objective alcohol biomarker to patients could increase motivation to cut down drinking, improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and reduce HIV-related complications.
How similar studies have performed: Brief alcohol interventions in people with HIV have produced modest reductions in drinking, but using PEth biomarker feedback is a newer tactic with limited prior data.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hahn, Judith Alissa — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Hahn, Judith Alissa
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.