View clinical trials related to Asthma.
Filter by:Asthma is a disease of small airways. Affected areas have reduced lung ventilation causing reflex vasoconstriction. MR perfusion imaging of the lungs is a sensitive method of imaging zonal lung perfusion.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether an inhaled corticosteroid (fluticasone) alters the expression of any gene expressed in the lining of the airways of asthmatics. The study uses high density gene chips which allow the study investigators to measures all gene in the human genome. We hypothesize that this approach will identify novel genes that are affected by steroids in asthmatics.
Airway hyperresponsiveness is a characteristic feature of the asthma. It is known that there is an association between airway hyperresponsiveness and eosinophilic airway inflammation. However, even though inflammation can be reduced with appropriate asthma therapy, it is typical that airway hyperresponsiveness improves only modestly with treatment. The determinants of airway hyperresponsiveness are unclear. It is also not clear as to the site of airway narrowing in asthma. It is hypothesized that airways beyond the 4th order have the greatest resistance. We hope to determine the relationships between the airway inflammation, remodeling of the airway and airway hyperresponsiveness. Through local instillation of methacholine at bronchoscopy we will be able to study proximal and distal airways and the extent to which they constrict in vivo
The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of induced sputum cell counts could guide treatment of asthma more effectively than the use of symptoms and breathing tests. The main outcomes where the time to the first exacerbation and the number of exacerbations.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) early in the treatment of adults hospitalized for acute asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The purpose of this study is to determine whether macrolide therapy is effective in treating patients hospitalized with asthma exacerbations or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)exacerbations. We hypothesize that compared to placebo, maintenance therapy with macrolides, when added to usual care, a) improves respiratory symptoms, b) improves quality of life, c) reduces airway inflammation, d) reduces airflow obstruction, and e) decreases the rate of re-exacerbations.
The purpose of this study will be to assess the impact of a culturally-sensitive, patient-focused asthma communication instrument (ACCI) designed to enhance provider-patient communication by prompting and guiding providers in assessments of disease severity and discussion of adherence behaviors with minority patients with asthma.
The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms whereby lung function is decreased in asthma and sensitivity to treatment. The hypothesis is that in diseases such as asthma, inflammatory cells (leukocytes) including eosinophils, macrophages and lymphocytes migrate to the lung and release either more or different types of inflammatory mediators and/or receptors compared to subjects without asthma, which are corticoid sensitive or insensitive. The objective of the study is to identify which genes are specifically expressed in important cells in patients with asthma with a view to identify novel targets for drug therapy.
Some patients with mild asthma may develop severe asthma. It is not known what makes patients with mild asthma become severe, and we plan to find out why this happens. Patients with severe asthma may have a different type of inflammation in the airway tubes. Patients with severe asthma do not get as much benefit from taking steroid inhalers or tablets compared to asthma patients with mild disease. The study hypothesis is that the inflammation in severe asthma is such that it makes steroids less effective in treating asthma. We will find out what possible abnormalities there are in the blood cells and the bronchoalveolar macrophage cells in the lungs of patients with severe asthma compared to those with mild or moderate asthma.
This study will be a randomized, placebo controlled, double blind study to measure the safety and efficacy of a new, injectable asthma medication, omalizumab, in a group of minority with moderate to severe asthma who are not adequately controlled with use of inhaled or oral steroids. Primary endpont will be change in asthma symptom utility index. Secondary endpoints will be changes in asthma Quality of life, asthma exacerbation rate, and lung function over the 12 week treatment period.