There are about 620 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Bangladesh. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
Background: Cholera is a public health problem globally and in Bangladesh and its prevention is important. Despite recent availability of an effective and affordable oral cholera vaccine (OCV), its field application remains a challenge and needs to be addressed in carefully conducted research studies.There is lack of information on temperature sensitivity and resulting immunogenicity of Shanchol OCV and it is not known if administration of two doses of OCVs, one month apart, instead of currently recommended 14 days, to improve success of vaccination programme will be effective;also if one dose of the vaccine, instead of currently recommended two doses, would result in adequate immune response in population exposed to V. cholerae in an endemic country like Bangladesh. Objectives: To determine immunogenicity of Shanchol in adults. when: 1. the vaccine is stored at three defined temperatures(25 oC ,37 oC and 42oC) for 14 days, before putting back in cold box for administration in the field and compare them with the response when the vaccine is stored under currently recommended temperatures. 2. two doses of the vaccine administered one month apart and compared vaccines administered at currently recommended interval of 14 days. 3. a single dose is administered and compare them with responses after recommended two doses. Methods: The study will be conducted among adults living in the Mirpur community in urban Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.Studying safety and acute and long-term immune responses over a period of one year. Outcome measures/variables: 1. Objective 1: safety and immunogenicity of vaccine in adults after its storage at three defined temperatures (25oC ,37oC and 42oC) by measuring vibriocidal antibody responses and compare them with the findings when the vaccine is stored at currently recommended temperature of 2-8oC (recommended by manufacturer, Shantha Biotechnic). 2. Objective 2: compare vibriocidal responses following administration of two doses of the vaccine one month apart and compare them with vaccination 14 days apart over a period of one year, with study of the memory responses over a one year period as a secondary outcome. 3. Objective 3: compare acute immune responses (vibriocidal antibody) following one and two doses of vaccine, and compare memory response as a secondary outcome measure, over a one year period. The above information is needed urgently for developing effective vaccination strategies for prevention and control of cholera in endemic countries.
Patients of arsenical keratosis may be treated with spirulina. Is this improvement related to the levels of zinc, vitamin E and linoleic acid at the site of the keratosis (palm)? To understand this, patients of palmer arsenical keratosis (n=10), arsenic exposed controls (n=10) and healthy volunteers (n=10) will be treated with spirulina powder 10 g/day orally for 12 weeks. Skin extracts will be collected both before and after supplementation from the palm and dorsum for estimation of zinc, vitamin E and linoleic acid levels.
Roughly 140 million people worldwide are chronically exposed to As-contaminated drinking water at concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 10 µg/L. Arsenic is a class I carcinogen known to cause several types of cancer and ischemic heart disease. Metabolism of inorganic As (InAs), which facilitates urinary As excretion, relies on one-carbon metabolism and involves two methylation steps; both utilize S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as the methyl donor. SAM biosynthesis relies on B vitamins including folate and B12 for the recruitment and transfer of methyl groups, but other nutrients, including choline and betaine, also contribute to the methyl pool. Our recent findings from a cross-sectional study of Bangladeshi adults exposed to a wide range of As concentrations in drinking water show that plasma choline and betaine concentrations are positively associated with As methylation. These findings suggest that choline and/or betaine may play an important role in As methylation and elimination and that simple interventions may have therapeutic potential for the many populations at risk for As-induced health effects. The investigators aim to recruit and follow 60 participants for this pilot study which will allow us to 1) assess the acceptance of choline and betaine supplements, 2) monitor participants for any potential side effects, 3) identify any difficulties that might be encountered in daily follow-up, and 4) generate preliminary data regarding the effects of choline and/or betaine supplementation on arsenic methylation.
Twenty patients of mild to moderate degree of arsenical palmer keratosis will be treated with garlic oil capsule orally for 12 weeks to examine its effectiveness in reducing body arsenic load and clinical symptoms. Similar treatment with similar number of arsenic exposed controls and healthy volunteers will be included for comparison.
To understand the pathogenesis of chronic arsenic toxicity, the investigators need to know the levels of vitamin E in patients chronically exposed to high concentration of arsenic and if changes are found, what happens when supplemented with vitamin E. The buccal cells and serum of patients will be collected for the estimation of vitamin E both before and after supplementation with vitamin E. Similar samples will be collected from similar number of arsenic exposed controls and healthy volunteers for comparison.
Daily intake of Nigella sativa for 12 weeks is effective in the treatment of palmer arsenical keratosis
Effects of leaf extract of Azadirachta indica in palmer arsenical keratosis: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-control trial
Data collected from this study will provide information on the breast milk zinc concentration, maternal and infant zinc status, and transfer of zinc from mothers breast milk to infants during first six months of life.
The role of anaerobic bacteria in the pathogenesis of palmer arsenical keratosis is not known. This can be evaluated by administering probiotics. Thirty patients from an arsenic affected area will be provided two probiotics capsules per day orally for 12 weeks and stool samples will be collected for qualitative and quantitative analysis of anaerobic bacteria. Similar number of arsenic exposed controls and healthy volunteers from the same area will be included with similar protocol for comparison. Like aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria may be modulated by probiotics in arsenicosis patients.
The program effectiveness study aims to assess the effect of a lipid-based nutrition supplement (LNS) and micronutrient powder (MNP) provided in a programmatic context for improving maternal nutritional status during pregnancy and lactation (LNS only), and preventing malnutrition in infants and young children (LNS and MNP) in Bangladesh.