There are more than 498,563 clinical trials published worldwide with over 60,000 trials that are currently either recruiting or not yet recruiting. Use our filters on this page to find more information on current clinical trials or past clinical trials (free or paid) for study purposes and read about their results.
Multiplex respiratory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test has gained wide acceptance as an alternative to conventional culture methods for the detection of the causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The aim of this study is to evaluate the positivity and to determine the causative agent of CAP using multiplex respiratory PCR test in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Patients with Cushing disease have hormone producing tumors in their pituitary gland. Often these tumors are so small they cannot be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The inferior petrosal sinuses are small veins that drain the blood from the pituitary gland. By taking a small sample of blood from these sinuses, doctors can differentiate a small tumor in the pituitary gland from other tumors in the body producing the hormone. Patients with Cushing disease have high levels of the hormone ACTH in the petrosal sinuses. Patients with other causes of Cushing syndrome do not have increased levels of ACTH in the petrosal sinuses. The procedure to collect blood from the petrosal sinus is called Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling (IPSS). The technique is very sensitive and can tell the difference between a pituitary tumor and other causes of Cushing syndrome nearly 100% of the time. However, IPSS is very difficult to perform and is only available in a few hospitals. Therefore, researchers are looking for another possible way to diagnose Cushing syndrome that would be less technically difficult and more readily available to patients. ACTH is produced in the pituitary gland as a response to the production of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH) in the brain (hypothalamus). This study will compare ACTH levels in the internal jugular veins before and after CRH stimulation with those obtained by conventional IPSS from patients with Cushing's syndrome. Obtaining blood from the jugular veins is a simple, practically risk free procedure that could be done easily in a community hospital on an out patient basis. Researchers believe that CRH stimulation will increase ACTH production from tumors of the pituitary gland (corticotroph adenomas) so that the diagnostic information from jugular venous sampling would be equivalent to that of IPSS. This proposal to develop jugular venous sampling (JVS) with CRH stimulation as a test for the differential diagnosis of Cushing Syndrome would potentially contribute greatly to the medical care of patients with Cushing syndrome, as a less costly, safer and more widely available alternative to IPSS.<TAB>
The purpose of this study is to determine the long-term effectiveness of naltrexone treatment in alcohol-dependent patients who respond to short-term treatment. Those who respond to short-term treatment will be randomized to a 1-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled maintenance phase with a 6-month posttreatment followup.
RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as gadolinium texaphyrin may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of gadolinium texaphyrin plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme that has not been previously treated.
This study will examine whether infliximab (Remicade ) is safe and effective for the treatment of dermatomyositis and polymyositis. Infliximab blocks the effect of a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is associated with harmful inflammation in many diseases. Patients 18 years of age and older with active dermatomyositis or polymyositis that does not respond adequately to treatment with methotrexate and corticosteroids may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, blood and urine tests, chest x-ray, pulmonary function test, skin test for tuberculosis, HIV test, electromyography (described below), manual muscle testing, and functional assessments. Magnetic resonance imaging (described below) will be done to assess the degree and location of inflammation in the involved limbs. An electrocardiogram and echocardiogram will be done if recent ones are not available. Patients who qualify for the study will be asked to undergo two muscle biopsies (surgical removal and analysis of small pieces of muscle tissue), one before initiation of treatment and another on the 16th week . Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either 3 mg/kg body weight of infliximab or a placebo (inactive substance) by infusion through a vein over 2 hours. The infusions will be given at the beginning of the treatment period (week 0) and at weeks 2, 6 and 14. At week 16, strength will be assessed by manual muscle testing. Patients who improved with treatment will continue with the same infusion dose on weeks 18, 22, 30, and 38. Those who do not improve will be assigned by random allocation to receive either 5 mg/kg body weight or 10/mg/kg body weight of infliximab on weeks 18, 22, 30 and 38. Those who did not improve who were previously on the placebo infusion will receive an extra dose of either 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg body weight of infliximab on week 16, while those patients who were previously on 3 mg/kg body weight of infliximab who failed to meet the improvement criteria will receive an infusion containing no medication on week 16. Patients will be admitted to the hospital for infusions at weeks 0, 14 and 38; the rest will be given on an outpatient basis. After the 38th week, all infusions will be stopped and patients will be assessed on the 40th week. Participants will undergo some or all of the following tests and evaluations during treatment: - Blood tests every week to look for antibodies seen with muscle inflammation. Some of the blood samples will be stored for later testing, including genetic studies to find genetic differences related to inflammation. - Skin test for tuberculosis - Chest x-rays at the beginning of the study (if a recent one is not available) and again at weeks 16 and 40 to look for active infection, detect signs of past exposure or infection with diseases such as tuberculosis, and assess the presence of lung disease that might be related to the myositis. - MRI (usually of the legs) at the beginning of the study and again at weeks 16 and 40 to measure disease activity and extent of muscle involvement. This will also give an idea of the response to treatment. This test uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of body tissues. During the procedure the patient lies on a bed surrounded by a metal cylinder (the scanner). - Muscle biopsy at the beginning of the study to diagnose muscle inflammation and again at week 16 to evaluate the response to treatment. - Electromyography if the patient has not had an EMG previously. For this test, small needles are inserted into the muscle to assess the electrical activity of the muscle - HIV test Patients whose disease worsen with treatment or who develop serious drug-related side effects will be taken off the study and referred back to their primary care physician for further therapy. Patients who improve will be referred back to their primary physician at the end of the study for possible continued treatment. Participants will be asked to return for follow-up visits every 6 weeks for a total of 30 weeks to monitor long-term effects of the drug
The investigators adopted the CAMS（Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences）-2009 trial for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients between 2009 to 2015, in which a risk-stratified strategy and dose-dense intensive chemotherapy were introduced. The outcomes of CAMS-2009 trial were retrospectively analyzed, and compared to the CAMS-2005 trial.
To monitor for endocrine changes in response to treatment of cataplexy with Xyrem, to focus on the hypothalamic pituitary axis and to confirm the safety of Xyrem on potential endocrine changes.
RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scan and computated tomography (CT) scan, may help doctors predict a patient's response to treatment and may help plan the best treatment. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin and ifosfamide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving chemotherapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well PET scan combined with CT scan predicts response in patients undergoing chemotherapy and surgery for soft tissue sarcoma.
This study will evaluate the effects of a drug called betahistine on appetite and food intake in overweight women. Betahistine has been used for many years to treat vertigo (dizziness). It was taken off the market in the United States in 1970 because it was thought to be ineffective for vertigo, but is still used for this purpose in many other countries. Some research suggests that betahistine may reduce appetite and food intake. Healthy overweight women between 18 and 50 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates must have a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40 and weigh less than 300 pounds. They are screened with a medical history and physical examination, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), breathing test and eating behavior questionnaires. Participants are admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for a 3-day/2-night stay for the following procedures: - Medication: Subjects take either betahistine (in one of three possible doses) or placebo capsules one time on the days of admission to the Clinical Center (day 1), three times on day 2 and two times on day 3. - Blood tests and 24-hour urine collection. - Resting metabolic rate: Subjects rest quietly for 1 hour after awakening and then rest again under a clear plastic hood or while wearing a face mask, breathing normally for about 25 minutes. - DEXA scan to measure body fat, muscle, and bone mineral content: Subjects lie on a table above a source of X-rays while a very small dose of X-rays is passed through the body. - Meal studies: Subjects food intake is measured on days 2 and 3. - Questionnaires: Subjects complete questionnaires about how hungry or full they are feeling and rate how much they liked the foods they ate.
This study will determine if transfusion of platelets containing HLA antibodies (certain antibodies to white blood cells) are more likely to cause transfusion reactions than transfusion of platelets that do not contain HLA antibodies. People 18 years of age or older who donate platelets at the NIH Clinical Center may be eligible for this study. An extra tube of blood (about one teaspoon) is obtained from participating donors at the time of their donation at the NIH Platelet Center. The blood plasma in the extra tube is tested for HLA antibodies and antibodies to certain white blood cells called granulocytes. The research sample is assigned a code number for identification and sent to the HLA Laboratory in the Department of Transfusion Medicine.