Contribution of the Indoor Environment Medical Advisor in the Management of Fibrosing Hypersensitivity...
Hypersensitivity PneumonitisHypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a diffuse infiltrative pneumonitis (DIP) of immuno-allergic origin, caused by exposure to one or more antigenic substances of organic origin, in genetically predisposed individuals. It can take a fibrosing form, eventually leading to chronic respiratory failure. Diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical, biological, CT scan and histological evidence, and is made during multidisciplinary discussions (MDD) of diffuse interstitial lung disease. The antigens responsible, of domestic or professional origin, may be micro-organisms, animal proteins or chemical agents. However, the antigen remains unknown in almost 50% of cases. Lack of antigen identification is an independent risk factor for death in patients with fibrosing HP. In fibrosing forms, corticosteroid therapy does not appear to improve functional prognosis, and ninedanib, an antifibrosing treatment offered in progressive forms, only slows functional decline. Identifying the causative antigen is therefore an essential element in the overall management of these patients, with the aim of implementing avoidance measures. A medical exposure questionnaire has been translated into French to help physicians identify the antigen. The serum precipitin assay is a tool developed to help identify sensitization to an antigen. It is all the more useful when investigations are targeted at the patient's suspected exposure. However, their sensitivity and specificity are variable. The activity of the indoor environment medical advisor (CMEI) has developed in the care of patients with chronic respiratory or allergic pathologies. Their role is to carry out an audit of the dwelling, take environmental measurements to assess the health risk, inform patients about appropriate eviction measures and, in some cases, refer patients to organizations specializing in home improvement. The CMEI visits the patient's home. The environmental audit includes a rigorous macroscopic examination and microbiological swabs of visible anomalies. The CMEI can also supplement its analysis with electrostatic dust collectors, which are left in the home for 4 weeks, enabling both qualitative and quantitative characterization of antigens. To date, no study has prospectively evaluated the contribution of CMEI to antigen identification in patients with fibrosing HP. At the Nantes University Hospital and Angers University Hospital, the environmental audit carried out by the CMEI is an integral part of routine patient management in the event of a HP diagnosis. The main objective of this study is to measure the diagnostic contribution of the indoor environment medical advisor in the identification of antigens responsible for respiratory pathology in patients with fibrosing HP.
Genetic Carbohydrate Maldigestion as a Model to Study Food Hypersensitivity
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)Sucrase Isomaltase DeficiencyIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects one in seven people with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. IBS strongly impacts quality of life, is a leading cause of work absenteeism, and consumes 0.5% of the healthcare annual budget. It manifests in women more than men with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation (IBS-C), diarrhoea (IBS-D), and mixed presentations (IBS-M) (1). The development of therapeutic options is hampered by the poor understanding of the underlying cause of symptoms. Many patients find that certain foods (particularly carbohydrates) trigger their symptoms, and avoiding such foods has been shown effective in IBS, like in the low-FODMAP (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols) exclusion diet. This has suggested that the food-symptom relation may involve malabsorption of carbohydrates due to inefficient digestion. However only a percentage of patients respond to this diet. Recently it has been reported that a subset of IBS carries hypomorphic (defective) gene variant of the sucrase isomaltase (SI), the enzyme that normally digests carbohydrates, sucrose and starch. This carbohydrate maldigestion (the breakdown of complex carbohydrates by a person's small bowel enzymes) is characterized by diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating, which are also features of IBS. This possibly occurs via accumulation of undigested carbohydrates in the large bowel, where they cause symptoms due to gas production following bacterial fermentation. Similar mechanisms may be acting at the level of other enzymes involved in the digestion, breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates (carb digestion genes -CDGs). Aim of the study is to study the prevalence of this genetic alteration in a large number of IBS patients as compared to asymptomatic controls.
An Online Intervention Targeting Depression and Low Reward Sensitivity
Depression MildDepression ModerateThis study aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different online interventions targeting reward sensitivity and depressive symptoms. We hypothesize that behavioral activation, a mindfulness and gratitude intervention, as well as a combination of both, will significantly reduce depressive symptoms and increase reward sensitivity, compared to the waitlist group. In addition, we assume that behavioral activation will have an increased effect on reward sensitivity compared to the mindfulness and gratitude intervention. The investigators will further investigate factors influencing treatment success in another paper based on data of this study (see secondary and other pre-specified outcome measures).
Hydroponic Cultivation in Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome
Food AllergyFood Hypersensitivity1 moreOral intake of nickel (Ni) is capable of causing the onset of systemic disorders in patients with Systemic Allergy to Nickel Syndrome (SNAS), an emerging allergic condition. Given its ubiquitous age, it is not possible to completely eliminate Ni and, therefore, it is necessary to plan a low-content diet. However, due to various factors (such as variability of Ni concentration in the soil, individual foods, variability of dietary habits and daily menus, different intake of Ni contained in the water, different intake of kitchen utensils, simultaneous intake of other substances), a restrictive diet is difficult and socially discriminating with a strongly negative impact on the quality of life of these patients. Hydroponic agriculture in a completely controlled, aseptic, artificial, soilless environment could be an alternative for patients suffering from SNAS with known and lower concentrations of metals than those deriving from conventional agricultural techniques, which are affected by the soil of origin and practices cultivation. The primary outcome of the study is to evaluate the possible effects of taking tomato puree deriving from hydroponic agriculture compared to tomato puree from conventional cultivation in the subjective control of SNAS symptoms, in patients following a low-diet diet. This is an interventional, randomized, double-blind, single-center crossover study involving a cohort of SNAS patients following a low-nickel diet for at least 4-6 weeks.
Comparing the Effects of Upper and Lower Body Resistance Training on Pain Sensitivity
HealthyResistance exercise may immediately lessen the perception of pain. The purpose of this study is compare the effects of an upper body exercise to a lower body exercise on the perception of pain (pressure pain threshold).
A Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Farletuzumab (MORAb 003) in Combination With Carboplatin...
Platinum-Sensitive Ovarian Cancer in First RelapseMORAb-003-011 is a global, multicenter, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of farletuzumab in combination with standard chemotherapy in subjects with low cancer antigen 125 (CA125) platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer in first relapse.
Effects of Pitavastatin on Insulin Sensitivity and Liver Fat
ObesityFatty Liver1 moreHMG co-A reductase inhibitors, commonly called statins, are an effective treatment for dyslipidemia and atherosclerotic heart disease with proven mortality benefit. While the lipid-lowering effects of statins are well-known, other metabolic effects, including effects on glucose tolerance and ectopic fat distribution, are less completely understood. Recent studies have shown that some statins may increase the risk of diabetes. Further, research has suggested that statins may have some benefit in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition associated with obesity that includes increased fat in the liver (steatosis) and, in some cases, inflammation and hepatocellular damage (steatohepatitis). Pitavastatin, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009, is the most recent statin to enter the market. Unlike most statins, pitavastatin is not primarily metabolized through cytochrome P450 (CYP450), and thus has reduced potential for interactions with other medications that are metabolized by CYP450. Previous studies have suggested that pitavastatin may be neutral to glucose homeostasis and may improve hepatic lipid. Neither of these effects has been proven definitively, however, and the current proposal aims to characterize in detail the effects of pitavastatin on glucose homeostasis, hepatic steatosis, and steatohepatitis.
Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of an Oxalate Gel or Negative Control on Dentinal Hypersensitivity...
Dentin SensitivityThis study will compare the safety and effectiveness of a potassium oxalate desensitizer or negative control on dentinal hypersensitivity.
Efficacy and Safety of Viaskin Milk in Children With IgE-Mediated Cow's Milk Allergy
Food AllergyThe objectives of this study are to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Viaskin Milk after 12 months of epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) treatment, for desensitizing IgE-mediated cow's milk allergic children and to assess the long-term safety and therapeutic benefit with Viaskin Milk.
Improving the Safety of Oral Immunotherapy for Cow's Milk Allergy
Food AllergyAllergy to cow's milk is the most common food allergy affecting children. There is currently no accepted routine clinical therapy to cure milk allergy. Recently studies have attempted to induce desensitisation using small daily doses of cow's milk, predominantly by the oral route (oral immunotherapy, OIT). Although this therapy works for some people, its effects are not generally long lasting and it is associated with significant side effects during protocol, including potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. Pilot data suggests that sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT, where allergen is held under the tongue, rather than swallowed) can also induce a degree of desensitisation, but with fewer adverse events. However, the degree of desensitisation induced appears to be lower than that with oral immunotherapy. The investigators wish to determine whether a sublingual pretreatment phase can improve the safety of conventional OIT in cow's milk allergy.