View clinical trials related to Crohn Disease.
Filter by:This study will examine the effectiveness of G-CSF in treating patients with Crohn's disease-a long-term recurring inflammation of the small and large intestine. Patients may have swelling and bleeding of the intestinal lining, which can lead to infection and abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, diarrhea, bloody stools, fistula (connections between the skin and intestine), intestinal blockages, and abscesses. Although there are various treatments for Crohn's disease, many patients continue to have inflammation that is difficult to control or severe side effects from the medications. G-CSF is an approved drug that is used to increase white blood cell counts. Other cells, immune cells, exposed to G-CSF can develop a specific immune action-a Th-2 response-that decreases the inflammatory response in Crohn's disease-a Th-1 response. Patients 18 years of age or older who have had mild to moderately severe Crohn's disease for at least 4 months may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and possible review of medical records, physical examination, blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), urine and stool analyses and, for women, a pregnancy test. They will fill out a Crohn's Disease Activity Index questionnaire daily for 7 days and an Inflammatory Bowel Disease questionnaire. Participants will have G-CSF therapy. Before starting therapy, they will have a series of pre-treatment tests, including a colonoscopy and leukapheresis. Colonoscopy is an examination of the colon. For the procedure, patients are given a medication to lessen anxiety and any discomfort. An endoscope-a lighted flexible tube-is inserted into the rectum, allowing examination of the extent of inflammation. The endoscope can also be used to take pictures of the colon and extract tissue samples for testing (biopsy). Leukapheresis is a procedure for collecting quantities of white blood cells. Whole blood is collected through a needle placed in an arm vein and circulated through a machine that separates it into its components. The white cells are removed, and the rest of the blood is returned to the body, either through the same needle used to draw the blood or through another needle placed in the other arm. After the colonoscopy and leukapheresis, patients receive G-CSF injections every day for 29 days. The patient or a caregiver, such as a family member, will be taught to give the injections. Blood samples will be collected on treatment days 4, 8, 11 and 15, and a physical examination and interview, blood tests and a stool exam will be done once a week. Patients will have a repeat colonoscopy and leukapheresis 24 hours after the last treatment dose (day 29). After the 29-day treatment, patients will be followed in the clinic as follows: - Week 4 after treatment - physical exam and interview, routine blood work and stool exam - Week 8 - interview and blood work - Week 16 - interview, blood work and stool exam - Week 24 - physical exam and interview, blood work, stool exam and colonoscopy
This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of an experimental drug called J695 for treating patients with Crohn's disease-a long-term recurring inflammation of the small and large intestine. This disease is currently treated with steroids, sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), 5-ASA drugs (Pentasa, Asacol), immune suppressants, antibiotics, and an antibody against TNF-alpha. Despite the number and variety of available therapies for Crohn's disease, many patients do not respond adequately to treatment or they develop severe side effects from the medicines. Therefore, new treatments must be developed. J695 is an antibody that is identical to a human antibody but chemically changed so that it can attach to and eliminate an inflammatory chemical made by the body called interleukin-12 (IL-12). Animal studies have shown that eliminating IL-12 with an antibody can prevent inflammation in the gut and can also heal inflammation that has already developed. Patients 18 years of age and older who have had Crohn's disease for at least 4 months may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and physical examination, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, blood and urine tests, stool analysis and possibly a review of medical records. They will complete a Crohn's Disease Activity Index Questionnaire for 7 days. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups, as follows: Group 1 Patients in this group will receive an injection of either J695 or placebo (a solution that does not contain any active medicine) under the skin on day 1 of the study, on day 29, and then weekly for a total of seven injections. After the last injection, patients will be followed for an additional 18 weeks. They will be monitored periodically throughout the study with physical examinations, disease activity index scores, and blood and urine tests. Group 2 Patients in group 2 will receive an injection of J695 or placebo on day 1 of the study and then weekly for a total of six injections. They will be followed for an additional 18 weeks. Patients will be monitored as described above for group 1. Participants may be asked to undergo additional tests as part of a sub-study in this protocol. These include colonoscopies to examine changes in inflammation in the gut and blood tests to analyze changes in the cells and body chemicals that affect the inflammation.
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the efficacy of chimeric monoclonal antibody (cA2) compared with placebo in closure of enterocutaneous fistulae in patients with Crohn's disease.
OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the efficacy and safety of 4-aminosalicylic acid in patients with active Crohn's disease of the small bowel.