About the Amsterdam Cohort Studies
The Amsterdam Cohort Studies (ACS) on HIV and AIDS started shortly after the first cases of AIDS were diagnosed in the Netherlands. Since October 1984, men who have sex with men (MSM) have been enrolled in this prospective cohort study. A second cohort involving people who use/used (injecting) drugs (PWUD/PWID) was initiated in 1985 and discontinued in 2016.
From the onset, research in the ACS has taken a multidisciplinary approach, integrating epidemiology, social science, virology, immunology, and clinical medicine in one study team. This unique collaboration has been highly productive, significantly contributing to the knowledge and understanding of many different aspects of HIV-1 infection, as well as other infections including STI (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, viral hepatitis B and C [HBV and HCV] and human papillomavirus [HPV]) and (re-)emerging infectious diseases (COVID-19, mpox). This expertise, in turn, has contributed directly to advances in prevention, diagnosis, and management of these infections.
ACS among people who use or inject drugs (PWUD/PWID)
Between 1984-2016, a total of 1,680 PWUD were included in the ACS of whom 1,303 had at least two cohort visits (maximum 78 visits). Study enrolment and data collection continued until 2014 and February 2016, respectively. Data and samples from the participants of this cohort are still being used for research.
ACS among men who have sex with men (MSM)
As of 31 December 2024, 3,024 MSM have been included in the ACS since its initiation. Every three to six months, participants complete a questionnaire on their medical history, sexual behaviour and drug use, mental health, and health care use. Moreover, blood is collected for diagnostic tests and storage at the ACS biobank.
Collaborating institutes and funding
The ACS is a collaboration between the following institutes:
In previous years, Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Medical Center Jan van
Goyen, and the HIV Focus Center of the DC-Clinics also contributed to sample and
data collection, which are still being used in current research projects.
In addition, there are numerous collaborations between the ACS and other research
groups, both within and outside the Netherlands.
The ACS is financially supported
by the Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands of the National Institute
for Public Health and the Environment (Centrum voor Infectieziektenbestrijding - Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, RIVM-CIb).
ACS Project team
The ACS team consists of scientists with different backgrounds, PhD students, study nurses, medical doctors and data managers. Data collection takes place at the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam) and additional lab tests are performed at the UMC Amsterdam, location Meibergdreef. The study is directed by the steering committee. The advisory board advices on the scientific direction of the study.
