View clinical trials related to Asthma.
Filter by:The researchers are investigating a novel technique, the multi breath nitrogen washout technique, to measure airway changes in various respiratory diseases.
The purpose of this study is to find out if omalizumab is effective in treating non-allergic asthma. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of omalizumab to treat moderate to severe allergic asthma.
The role played by ß2AR polymorphisms in determining the bronchial response to ß2AR agonist drugs, has been confirmed by several studies. The purpose of the present study is to examine possible causal relationships between genetically based alteration in the structure of ß2AR and drug responsiveness. An ex-vivo model (organ bath technique) will be used to investigate association between polymorphisms in the coding region of ß2AR and the response of bronchial rings derived from human lung tissue to the respective agonists (i.e. salbutamol). In the second part of the study the same bronchial rings will be incubated for 24 hours in a solution containing fixed concentration of albuterol. A second dose response curve for rising concentrations of albuterol will be constructed and a relationship between β2 genetic polymorphisms and the extent of desensitization to albuterol will be investigated. In addition, through specifically designed receptor binding assay the bronchial tissue will be used to define the affinity (Kd) and expression (Vmax) of the ß2 receptor. These data will enable to enhance our understanding regarding the mechanism responsible for the association noted between ß2AR polymorphism and altered drug effect.
The response to salbutamol varies greatly among individuals. Data from previous studies indicate that some of the variability is accounted for by genetic polymorphisms in the gene encoding for the adrenoceptor subtype β2. The current study was designed to evaluate variability in the response to salbutamol among recently diagnosed patients who have not been treated by β2 agonists or corticosteroids. Lung function tests will be performed prior to and following a single dose administration of salbutamol through inhalation. Additional pharmacodynamic indices will be monitored including pulse and blood pressure. Three samples of plasma will be drawn for the evaluation of salbutamol plasma concentration.
Fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a procedure which involves passing a pencil-thin tube into the lung in order to collect fluid and cells from the airways. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy can collect cells from the walls of airways by gently brushing them (bronchial brushing). In addition, squirting small amounts of sterile water in to the airway and gently suctioning it back into the bronchoscope (bronchoalveolar lavage) collects cells. In this study, researchers plan to perform these tests on patients with asthma and normal volunteers. This research may help to improve the understanding of the processes involved in airway inflammation and asthma....
This study is designed to evaluate the genetics involved in the development of lung disease by surveying genes involved in the process of breathing and examining the genes in lung cells of patients with lung disease. The study will focus on defining the distribution of abnormal genes responsible for processes directly involved in different diseases affecting the lungs of patients and healthy volunteers. Optional CT Sub-study The standard CT scan will be compared to the low dose radiation CT scan for the 150 subjects enrolled in the sub-study to assess the variation between the two techniques. Specifically, the quantitative computer aided detection of lung CT abnormalities from LAM can be compared to assess whether low radiation dose CT exams is an alternative to conventional CT to monitor disease status. This optional sub-study will be offered to up to 100 adult subjects with lung disease and up to 50 children age 9 and older with CF. Children will not be enrolled in the optional CT sub-study unless they have had a standard CT scan for medical purposes to use in comparison. One additional low dose radiation CT scan of the chest may be done as part of this sub-study when these subjects have their next annual CT scan.