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

The purpose of this study is to assess the correlation of the predicted post-operative lung function with the observed post-operative lung function (FEV1 and DLCO) in patients who underwent surgical resection (FEV1 = Forced expiratory volume in 1-second. DLCO = Diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide. ppo = predicted postoperative.)and versus the gold standard QRRVP (Quantitative Radionuclide Study of Regional Lung Ventilation and Perfusion)

Pulmonary edema can be classified into "cardiogenic pulmonary edema" and "non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema" according to the underlying etiology. Cardiogenic pulmonary edema is caused by the dysfunction in the cardiac pumping capability, leading to the transudation accumulation in the pulmonary peri-capillary space. The predisposing factors of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema are numerous, including severe infection, renal failure, auto-immun reaction, etc. The mortality rate of pulmonary edema is relatively high, especially the non-cardiogenic one. To distinguish the type of pulmonary edema at the early stage is important for its treatment. Lung sound analysis via stethoscope is a simple diagnostic method to lung diseases clinically. Among many kinds of lung sounds, the "crackle" and "rale" are frequently found in pulmonary edema. "Rale" is also called "moist rale". It is considered as low-frequency wheezes and is often seen in cardiogenic pulmonary edema. On the other hand, "crackle" is also called "dry rale", which is a kind of high-frequency wheezes and usually seen in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) that is classified into non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. This proposed project intends to establish a digital diagnostic method for pulmonary edema. The lung sound of patient with pulmonary edema will be collected by the lung sound acquisition system. By identifying the significant spectrum characteristics of cardiogenic pulmonary edema and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, the diagnostic system might be established.

A high number of birch pollen-allergic individuals develop hypersensitivity reactions to certain foods, e.g. apples. This food allergy is due to immunological cross-reactivity. Birch pollen-related foods contain proteins, e.g. Mal d 1 in apple, that are structurally related with the major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1. Hence IgE antibodies and T lymphocytes specific for Bet v 1 recognize these food proteins which results in activation of the immune system and, consequently, in clinical symptoms. In the present study the investigators intend to investigate if and how the consumption of birch pollen-related food allergens affects birch pollen allergy. In other words, the investigators are interested to analyse whether Bet v 1-related food allergens activate Bet v 1-specific memory cells and thus, contribute to the maintenance of the pollen allergy outside the pollen season. Data obtained in this study will help to clarify the immunological and clinical role of cross-reactivity between pollen and food allergies and will reveal whether avoidance of such foods should be recommended for the patients. Finally, novel approaches for diagnosis and therapy of pollen-related food allergens can be developed.

This study seeks to provide point-of-care clinical diagnostic systems for the diagnosis of current disease status using saliva as a sample specimen.

Several case report showed that the co-infection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. The aim of this study is to elucidate the prevalence and its clinical significance of co-infection of Mycoplasma pneumonia in patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis.

A biobank of Serum, plasma, DNA samples together with clinical information including specific questionnaires, complete pulmonary function and chest CT-scan, is prospectively collected in patients seen at the investigators' clinical service. The objective is to study candidate gene pathways in COPD and or lung cancer and to associate them with the clinical characteristics and phenotypes of COPD/emphysema and lung cancer. In subgroups of well characterised patients, other biological materials are also collected (lung tissue biopsies, peripheral blood mononuclear cells).

The goal of this clinical research study is to compare the 6-minute walk test with the exercise stress test, in patients who may have lung surgery. Researchers want to find out if the 6-minute walk test is as good as the exercise stress test at predicting possible complications that may occur after lung surgery.

Recent data show that pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined by a tricuspid regurgitation jet (TRJ) velocity > or equal at 2.5m/s on Doppler echocardiography, is present in about 30% of adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) and is associated with poor prognosis. However in SCD the occurrence of PH (defined by mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP)> or equal at 25 mmHg) is related to at least 3 mechanisms: PH due to hyperkinetic state with high cardiac output (CO) but normal pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR <160 dynes), or postcapillary PH (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure PCWP >15 mmHg), or precapillary pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) defined by mPAP > or equal at 25 mmHg, PCWP< or equal at 15 mmHg and PVR > or equal at 160 dynes.The aim of this study is to evaluate in a French population of adults with sickle cell disease the characteristics, prevalence and prognosis of pulmonary hypertension.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the site and mechanisms responsible for expiratory airflow limitation in chronic, treated, non-smoking, stable asthmatics with moderate to severe persistent expiratory airflow obstruction. Treatment will include inhaled corticosteroids and long acting beta2agonists and long acting muscarinic antagonists. We are interested in determining whether the large and/or small airways are the predominant site of airflow limitation. We are also interested in determining whether intrinsic small airways obstruction and/or loss of lung elastic recoil is responsible for expiratory airflow limitation and to what extent may be attributed to loss of lung elastic recoil vs decreased airway conductance in peripheral airways. We are also interested to evaluate the role of varying doses of inhaled corticosteroids to suppress large and small airway inflammation using exhaled nitric oxide as surrogate markers of inflammation. For comparison purposes, spirometry and measurements of exhaled nitric oxide will also be obtained if possible during a naturally occurring exacerbation of asthma. High resolution thin section CT of the lung will also be obtained. Analysis will evaluate integrity of the lung parenchyma as to absence and or presence of emphysema and extent of emphysema using voxel quantification. We will also investigate optical coherence tomography to detect clinically unsuspected emphysema. We will also obtain autopsy material when available in asthmatics who expire. Will also measure serum periostin as a marker of inflammation by collaborating with Genetech in San Francisco.

Patients planned for radical radiation for NSCLC will undergo conventional CT stimulation and also PET/CT scans for definition of radiation target volumes