View clinical trials related to Cirrhosis.
Filter by:The overall hypothesis is that endothelial function, apolipoprotein levels and adiponectin levels are accurate predictors of underlying cardiovascular disease in patients with end-stage liver disease, in whom standard tools for the diagnosis of and screening for cardiovascular disease are of limited utility.
Several factors will be tested to see if they have an influence on the methacetin breath test results. Each one of the factors has been raised as a possible source of distortion of the MBT result. I. Variability between same tests on same subject MBT. Repeatability will be tested in both healthy individuals and patients with chronic liver disease. II. COPD - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and can potentially have an effect on the MBT since the breath test is based on CO2 production and these subjects may have abnormal CO2 production. III. Smoking- 13C Methacetin is metabolized by healthy hepatocytes reflecting hepatic microsomal function of CYP1A2, and smoking may cause induction of CYP1A2. Furthermore, internal preliminary data has shown signs that there is an influence of smoking on the MBT ranges. IV. Age- Empirical data on several hundred subjects with chronic liver disease has shown that age is a significant factor in determining the probability of disease severity and preliminary data in normal subjects have shown changes in MBT with age.. Therefore, the effect of age has to be elucidated in an orderly fashion. V. CYP450 1A2 Inhibitors- Several drugs and food items inhibit CYP450 1A2 and may affect the MBT. VI. Alcohol - Alcohol ingestion leads to induction of hepatic CYP and at a later stage to inhibition due to liver damage. Acute alcohol ingestion may therefore effect MBT results. VII. Beta-blockers - beta blocker are affecting portal hypertension and may affect hepatic blood flow and thereby the outcome of the methacetin breath test.
In this study Peg-Intron will be tested to see if it will give better results than Colchicine. At this time, there is currently no recommended maintenance treatment for patients who have failed to respond to Interferon/Rebetron/Peg Intron and have advanced fibrosis. The purpose of this study is to compare two treatments to slow down the progression of liver disease and to prevent liver failure and liver cancer. The treatment will not cure Hepatitis C, but is being evaluated to see if it can slow down disease progression.
OBJECTIVES: I. Investigate the efficacy and safety of colchicine therapy in improving hepatic function and reducing hepatic fibrosis (scarring) in children with hepatic cirrhosis.