Active clinical trials for "Respiratory Tract (Lung and Bronchial) Diseases"

The aim of the study is to intensify the follow up of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension via modern imaging guided methods in due consideration of the possibilities of three-dimensional echocardiography in order to optimize their specific therapy. The hypothesis is that the increased use of modern imaging guided tools is essential for the follow up.

TITLE : A Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Trial on the Prognostic and Dynamic Change of CTC Enumeration in Advanced NSCLC with 1st or 2nd line chemotherapy and targeted therapy BACKGROUND : Circulating tumor cells (CTC) identification is a new field of research in oncology, and some studies have been conducted with success on breast and prostate cancer. Nearly 80% of lung cancers are diagnosed in an advanced stage (IIIB, and IV). CTC identification and monitoring these cells after treatment could help the clinicians to detect relapse or be a prognostic factor. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE : To study the relationship between CTC count and clinical outcome of treatment (Overall response rate and Progression-free survival). SECONDARY OBJECTIVES :To study the relationship between CTC and overall survival. STUDY DESIGN : This is a prospective, observational study. Duration of the inclusions: 12months. SAMPLE SIZE : 1200 patients

Scarring of the lungs is common in patients with scleroderma and is one of the main causes of death. Patients with scleroderma very frequently have problems with their gullet (esophagus), the food pipe that leads into the stomach. Normally, a small circular muscle at the base of the esophagus opens to allow food to pass into the stomach and closes to keep the digestive fluids from flowing back up into the gullet. In patients with scleroderma, the muscle may become weak and no longer close properly. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is the medical term for reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Our hypothesis is that small amounts of GER can move back up into the esophagus and get inhaled into the lungs, and may be one of the triggers for lung scarring. We propose to look for certain substances normally only found in the stomach in the "exhaled breath condensate" which is collected by breathing comfortably into a cooled cylinder, allowing the breath to condensate. In a smaller group of patients, we also plan to perform a bronchoalveolar lavage, a more widely studied test in which a small amount of fluid is introduced into a small part of the lungs through a fine tube, and then removed for examination, to evaluate whether the two tests provide similar measurements. We will also evaluate the correlation between these molecules and other tests, including lung function, and markers of lung scarring activity, and tests to look at how the esophagus is working so that we can get a clearer picture of how this affects patients' daily lives. Finally, we will be following up patients over time with lung function to see whether evidence of GER into the lungs is linked with a greater likelihood of worsening of lung scarring in the future.

Calcium is an extremely important ion used in our body for many processes. One of its tasks is to control gene expression. Cells intake calcium from their surroundings though special calcium channels located on the surface membranes of the cells. The great many studies on such calcium channels were performed on excitable cells such as muscle, heart or neuronal cells, where the calcium ions are controlled by voltage. Surprisingly, not much is known about the identity of calcium subunits in non-excitable cells like epithelial cells (which compose most of the connective tissue in the body), liver cells, lung cells, immune system cells, etc. Recently, the investigators have shown that calcium channels from muscles are, in fact, expressed in T cells of the immune system, where they are used for proliferation. The investigators postulated that probably other cell types, especially cancerous cell types, might be using these subunits similarly. The aim of this study is to determine the identity and sequence of calcium subunits expressed in non-small cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC), which accounts for 80% of the worldwide lung cancer deaths.

Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) represent a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.Patients admitted to hospital present higher mortality rates.The investigators lack the specific tools that allow us to easily classify and establish the individual prognosis for each patient during their hospitalization. Rational of the study:to identify the predictive factors for hospital mortality in critically ill patients admitted to hospital due to an episode of COPD exacerbation.

The objective in this observational cohort study of young adults sampled at three intervals during the academic year is to ascertain if there is carriage of B. pertussis in asymptomatic individuals. We hypothesize that in asymptomatic college students there is no carriage of B. pertussis detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined as a group of diseases characterised by an elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) ≥25 mmHg at rest. Recently, chronic myeloproliferative diseases (CMPD) associated with pulmonary hypertension were included in the group 5 category, corresponding to PH for which the aetiology is unclear and/or multifactorial. CMPD include chronic myelogenous leukaemia, chronic neutrophilic leukaemia and chronic eosinophilic leukaemia (which primarily express a myeloid phenotype and polycythaemia vera), idiopathic myelofibrosis, and essential thrombocytosis in which erythroid or megakaryocytic hyperplasia predominates. The purpose of this research: Assess Prevalence of PH in patients with CMPD in Northern Israel Describe the demographics and clinical course in patients with CMPD who are diagnosed with PH.

STUDY OF USE OF PEMETREXED IN PATIENTS WITH NON-SMALL LUNG CANCER METASTATIC IN ANDALUSIAN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a structured package (bundle) in reducing the use of antimicrobials and hospital stay of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and no increase in mortality of these patients in different hospitals.

For patients with emphysema lung volume reduction (ELVR) could be an expedient approach for the reduction of distension of the lung. ELVR may be performed using RePneu® Coils. After the insertion of the coils distended lung sections shrink so that healthy parts can expand. In the present study investigators intend to examine, whether the insertion of the coils improves diaphragm function and force of the breathing muscles. Investigators hypothesize that reduction of lung volume eliminates or reduces flattening of the diaphragm and relieves breathing muscles, respectively respiratory pump, which aims to reduce dyspnea.