View clinical trials related to Fibrosis.
Filter by:There is an urgent need for a noninvasive method to diagnose bronchial infections and exacerbations in patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The current method to diagnosed infections involves either collecting a sputum sample or obtaining a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). However, some patients cannot produce sputum. At the same time the decision of when a patient has an exacerbation continues to be very subjective. In this exploratory study, we propose a new, noninvasive method to diagnose bronchial infections and to evaluate possible markers of inflammation that can assist in a noninvasive way in the determination of exacerbations.
Decrease in blood cell counts due to deficient bone marrow function, called bone marrow failure, as well as some lung diseases, called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, can be caused by genetic defects in telomere biology genes, eventually causing telomere erosion. These disorders are collectively termed "telomeropathies". There is evidence that male hormones may improve blood cell counts in marrow failure, and these hormones are able to stimulate telomerase function in hematopoietic cells in vitro. We propose this study to the use of male hormone in patients with aplastic anemia and pulmonary fibrosis associated with defects in telomeres.
Despite the implementation of modern public health interventions, 1 in 5 adults in the United States are either current or former smokers and remain at risk for the development of chronic lung diseases. It is unknown how or why any one individual smoker can develop a wide range of lung diseases including chronic obstructive lung disease and/or pulmonary fibrosis. The purpose of this protocol is to collect clinical data, blood, urine, and bronchoalveolar samples from smokers and non-smokers in an attempt to establish phenotypic clinical profiles that correspond to divergent pathways in the expression of such proteins as the transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta <=1). The information generated from this study will provide insight into the pathogenesis of smoking-related lung injury and potentially allow for the development of early therapeutic interventions.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive disease. Symptoms include coughing, poor lung ventilation, recurrent infections, poor weight gain, diarrhoea, malnutrition, stress, frustration, depression, irritability, worry, insomnia, behavioural issues and missed school/work. Tai chi, a Chinese form of exercise, uses slow choreographed movements, breathing exercises and mindfulness. Research suggests tai chi can improve physical and emotional wellbeing for various chronic conditions. This study compares methods of teaching tai chi to 70 people with CF, and evaluates the effect on symptoms and quality of life. Adults and children with CF will be recruited and randomly allocated to an intervention group or a control group. The former will receive 8 individual face to face sessions of tai chi over a 3 month period and a video and handouts to aid home practice. The latter will have routine care for the first 12 weeks, followed by 8 individual online sessions of tai chi over a 3 month period, and a video and handouts for home practice. Both groups will be encouraged to practice tai chi at home in the months following the taught sessions. Questionnaire data on how participants and their carers are coping with CF, any general improvements in wellbeing, and differences in other clinical outcomes (medication etc.)will be collected. Data will be collected at the beginning and end of the intervention, and at 6 and 9 months post intervention and differences between the 2 groups compared over time. Feedback from on line focus groups will ask about their experiences, feasibility of learning and practicing of tai chi, engagement with the process, perceived health impact, and experiences of participation. It is hoped that the study may show how Tai Chi can help people with CF to maintain their health through mindful exercise, and improve troublesome symptoms like sleep and anxiety.
The purpose of this trial is to compare the effects of treatment with tobramycin solution for inhalation (TIS) with and without azithromycin in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) age 6 months to 18 years who have early isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) from a respiratory culture. Specimens of blood and sputum or throat swabs will be taken during the study along with pulmonary function testing. Participants will receive initial treatment with TIS followed additional treatment with TIS if quarterly respiratory cultures are positive for Pa in addition to either azithromycin or placebo for 18 months.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential effectiveness of losartan (100mg daily) for reducing inflammation and improving immune recovery.
The investigator has recently studied markers of platelet activation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and found that in IPF patients there is a significantly increased platelet reactivity when compared with controls which is demonstrated by a concentration dependent increase in platelet-monocyte complex formation, platelet P-selectin expression and platelet fibrinogen binding in the presence of` the platelet agonists Adenosine diphosphate and L- Threonyl- L- phenylalanyl- L- leucyl- L- leucyl- L-argininamide (TFLLR). During platelet activation the platelets degranulate releasing numerous profibrotic cytokines including Transforming growth factor beta and Platelet derived growth factor that are recognised to be important in the pathogenesis of IPF. It is therefore plausible that the observed increased platelet reactivity in IPF contributes to the fibrotic process through local activation and degranulation with release of proinflammatory and profibrotic mediators within the pulmonary circulation. There is evidence that corticosteroid treatment may alter platelet adhesion, in a study of spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) increased circulating glucocorticoid, suppressed p-selectin expression. p selectin is a transmembrane protein present in the α granules of platelets. P selectin has a crucial role in platelet aggregation and platelet-leukocyte interactions, which are both potentially important mechanisms in the initiation and/or progression of tissue injury and development of thrombosis. In a study of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation these were treated with either β agonists alone or β agonist and 40mg prednisolone and compared with a control group. At presentation the COPD patients had higher pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) higher p selectin and fibrinogen levels but lower Antithrombin III levels (AT III). The pulmonary artery pressure and fibrinogen levels were found to be significantly decreased in the steroid treated group whilst the p-selectin levels further increased in the non steroidal therapy patients. Rationale for the Current Study There is a significant unmet medical need for the treatment of IPF; the only medication approved for treatment of IPF in the United Kingdom (UK) is Pirfenidone and outside the UK there is none. The main goal of the current study is to evaluate the effect of Fostair on the biomarkers of platelet activation in IPF disease which the investigator believes play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of IPF and whether this translates in to a clinically beneficial effect of Fostair on IPF disease.
Liver fibrosis is an important public health problem, with a substantial morbidity and mortality due to progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. All causes of chronic liver disease may lead to fibrosis. The traditional diagnostic approach requires a biopsy for assessing the severity of liver disease prior to therapy. However, liver biopsy has several limitations: cost, sampling error, and procedure-related morbidity and mortality. Considering the high prevalence of viral hepatitis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition often associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, there is an urgent need for noninvasive screening, diagnosis and monitoring strategies of chronic liver disease severity. Our team has the expertise to investigate ultrasound-based and magnetic resonance-based elastographic methods for the noninvasive staging of liver fibrosis. The primary objective of this cross-sectional study is to compare the sensitivity of elastographic methods for detecting histology-determined significant fibrosis. The secondary objectives are to compare the diagnostic accuracy of these elastographic methods and the influence of potential confounders (inflammation, steatosis and iron deposition) on their diagnostic accuracy.
The investigators study is designed to test the hypothesis that correction of vitamin D in CF patients can increase their lung function and decrease the number of their pulmonary exacerbations.
The purpose of this study is to determine if SWE and Fibrotest®/ Fibromax®, alone or associated, are effective methods to assess liver fibrosis in children.