View clinical trials related to Kidney Diseases.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of treatment of anemia with darbepoetin alfa to a hemoglobin target of 13 g/dL on (1) all-cause mortality and nonfatal cardiovascular events, and (2) progression to end-stage renal disease or death, in subjects with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Academic PI/Executive Committee Chairman: Marc Pfeffer, MD, PhD
The objective of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of Zemplar® Capsule versus placebo, in decreasing elevated intact parathyroid hormone levels in chronic kidney disease stage 5 subjects with secondary hyperparathyroidism on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, while using the revised dose titration scheme.
Transplant rejection occurs when a patient's body does not recognize the new organ and attacks it. Patients who have kidney transplants must take drugs to prevent transplant rejection. Alemtuzumab is a man-made antibody used to treat certain blood disorders. The purpose of this study is to test the safety and effectiveness of using alemtuzumab in combination with two other drugs, sirolimus and tacrolimus, to prevent organ rejection after kidney transplantation. This study will also test whether this combination of medications will allow patients to eventually stop taking antirejection medications entirely. Study hypothesis: A new strategy of immunosuppression using alemtuzumab, tacrolimus, and sirolimus for human renal transplantation will permit a step-wise withdrawal from immunosuppressive drugs.
With improved anti-HIV drug therapy, HIV infected patients are now living longer. These patients are at risk for liver and kidney failure and may need organ transplants. However, little is know about the safety and effectiveness of organ transplants in patients with HIV. This study will evaluate organ transplantation in HIV infected patients undergoing liver and kidney transplants.
Chronic allograft nephropathy continues to be a major cause of kidney transplant loss and return to dialysis. Treatment options are limited and the course of the disease tends to be progressive. This trial is designed to prevent a major mediator of this process, namely the expansion of the cortical interstitial compartment of the kidney where most of the scarring occurs. The drug being studied, Losartan, has proven efficacious in a number of kidney diseases.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of nutritional supplements in increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids (and arginine) in the red blood cell membranes and plasma of kidney transplant patients, and, secondarily, to compare patient compliance. The long-term goal of this study is to develop low risk therapies that will allow improved and lasting survival of donor tissue with minimal suppression of the immune system.
The main objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of NC-503 compared to placebo in patients with secondary (AA) amyloidosis using a composite assessment of clinical improvement/worsening of both renal and gastrointestinal functions.
This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to picture the kidney and renal arteries (arteries that supply blood to the kidney) in patients scheduled for kidney artery angiogram and angioplasty/stenting procedures. An angiogram is a way of taking pictures of arteries that shows areas of narrowing caused by atherosclerosis-a buildup of plaque on the vessel wall. Angioplasty/stent is a treatment procedure in which a balloon-tipped catheter is inserted in the artery and advanced to the area of blockage to open the vessel, increasing blood flow to the kidney. A permanent metal tube (stent) may or may not be put in place to maintain the opening. During either of these invasive procedures, small pieces of plaque can break off and travel in the blood to lodge elsewhere in the body. This is called embolization. Lodged in the kidney, the embolus can impair kidney function. Currently, these emboli cannot be detected. A new way of visualizing the kidneys that allows detection of emboli may reveal whether material has moved to the kidneys and predict if there will be any kidney damage. Patients 21 years of age and older with suspected kidney artery disease scheduled for invasive angiographic evaluation in NIH protocol 95-H-0047 may be eligible for this study. Participants will be assigned to one of two study groups, based on the angiogram findings and the decision to have the angioplasty/stent procedure. Participants in both groups will have baseline MRI scans up to 2 weeks before the invasive procedure (angiogram with or without angioplasty/stent) and again within a day after the procedure. Patients who undergo angioplasty/stent will have another MRI study within about a month following the procedure. MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of body tissues. The patient lies on a table that slides into a large hollow tube (the scanner). During part of the scan, a material called gadolinium contrast may be injected into a vein. This substance brightens the images to better show the kidneys, their blood vessels and blood flow. The procedure lasts from about 1 to 2 hours. During the MRI, the heart is monitored with an electrocardiogram (EKG) and breathing is monitored with a flexible belt. Blood pressure is measured intermittently. The patient can communicate with a staff member at all times. Blood samples will be drawn from an arm vein at the initial clinic visit, within a day after the procedure and about 1 week after the procedure. For patients who had the angioplasty/stent procedure, a third blood sample will be taken within another 6 six weeks. The blood samples will be used to check for changes in kidney function.
This study will test the accuracy of a new "Fast GFR" (glomerular filtration rate) test to evaluate kidney function. Accurate assessment of kidney function is important in many clinical situations, including detecting kidney disease early, determining appropriate drug dosages, deciding when to begin dialysis, and evaluating heart and kidney organ donors and recipients. The current GFR test is used mostly for research purposes, as it is too costly and complicated for general medical use. Another significant drawback to its use in diagnosing acute kidney failure is the time it takes (3 to 24 hours) to complete, since effective therapy for this condition requires its detection as soon as possible. The Fast GFR, by comparison, takes only 45 minutes. Patients 6 years old and older with kidney disease or with impaired kidney function caused by abnormal heart function or swelling-from congestive heart failure, severe infections, swelling from fluid accumulation, fluid in the abdomen, or burns-may be eligible for this study. Patients will undergo both the standard and the Fast GFR tests, described below, to evaluate the accuracy of the new test. Fast GFR: Two catheters (thin flexible tubes) are placed into two arm veins, one for injecting iothalamate-an agent commonly used in CT scanning and blood vessel imaging-and the other for collecting blood samples. Baseline blood and urine samples are collected and then 0.5 milliliter (ml) iothalamate is injected into a vein. Blood samples are collected at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 45 minutes in adults and at 5, 15, and 45 minutes in children. Urine is collected at 45 minutes. The size of the bladder is measured using ultrasound to determine if the bladder has completely emptied. Standard GFR: Iothalamate (1 ml) is injected under the skin. Blood samples are collected at 60, 90, 120, 180 and 240 minutes. (A heparin lock is used to avoid multiple needle sticks.) Urine is collected at 60, 90, 120, 180 and 240 minutes. The size of the bladder is measured using ultrasound to determine if the bladder has completely emptied.
Diabetes and end-stage kidney, liver and heart disease are prominent health issues among veteran patients. Successful solid organ transplantation in the absence of chronic immunosuppressive therapy (specific acquired immunological tolerance) is a desirable therapeutic option. This project extends recent observations supporting the use of concommitant donor bone marrow cell infusion as a means of modulating the immune response in kidney transplantation, thereby allowing a substantial decrease or withdrawal of potentially toxic immunosuppressive drugs.