Active clinical trials for "Asthma"

Accordingly, the new update of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines 2006 is based on the control of the disease and attempts to quantify and graduate the level of control by using a classification of asthmatic subjects into controlled,partly controlled and uncontrolled groups. Achieving and maintaining optimal asthma control is a major goal of asthma management. Although the results of clinical trials advocate that asthma control can be reached in most patients, there is evidence that many subjects with asthma have poorly controlled disease and that there is a significant gap between the treatment goals and the current level of asthma control achieved in the general population. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of uncontrolled and partly controlled asthma in Italy using a patient-based tool such as Asthma Control Test.

The purpose of this study is to investigate mechanisms which cause acute asthma exacerbations by examining blood and airway secretions during an acute onset (sputum or tracheal aspirates). This pilot study is intended to uncover new mechanisms of asthma exacerbation and to generate hypotheses for future study. By collaborating with Genentech, we (scientists at UCSF) plan to incorporate the latest scientific findings into our work to discover and develop new treatments for asthma.

The purpose of this study is to identify the potential issues during short and mid term utilization of Pulmicort hydro fluoroaklane (HFA) pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI)and describe associated factors.

To evaluate the level of control of Asthma (GINA : controlled, partially controlled, not controlled) of asthmatic patients consulting their general practitioner for a seasonal increase of respiratory symptoms (high and / or low) whether an inhaled corticotherapy is taken or not.

The aim of the study is valuation of quality of life (QL) in children with asthma and analysis of the factors that can have influence on it. The clinical problems included into the aim are to evaluate: the correlation between the QL and asthma control the utility of the Polish Version of PAQLQ(S) by Juniper, especially the understanding of each question and it's answers The results of this study can be very helpful in the future in developing a questionnaires to use in Polish Primary Care, according to which the investigators would be able to see whether the asthma in our patients is being well controlled.

Diseases of the airways (bronchi) of the lungs include asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which are leading causes of reduced quality of life, loss of work, hospital admissions and deaths and result in a major economic burden to the patient and society. Worsening (exacerbation) of these conditions is common and is frequently due to viral or bacterial infection, which causes inflammation in the bronchi, i.e. bronchitis. Ways to objectively measure the inflammation are needed to improve diagnosis, cause and severity and to guide treatment. The investigators also need to understand changes in the body's defense (immune) mechanisms that make some patients have more frequent infective bronchitis. At present, sputum cell counts are able to identify different types of bronchitis, their severity and may be able to differentiate viral from bacterial infection. Other measurements in sputum, exhaled breath, blood and urine are also available to measure this inflammation. Measurement of immune cells in the blood gives us an idea about the working capacity of the immune system of the body. The investigators plan to study patients with asthma or COPD at the time of worsening of their condition to identify, To what extent viral or bacterial bronchitis can be diagnosed from tests of inflammation? How clearing of infection relates to clearing of inflammation? What are the changes in the body's defense mechanisms that make a patient more prone to frequent infective bronchitis? How do the measurements in sputum, exhaled breath, blood and urine relate to viral and bacterial bronchitis? What are the differences in the measurements in sputum, exhaled breath, blood and urine in asthma and COPD?

Our hypothesis: Obese subjects with a physician's made diagnosis of asthma have a poorer asthma control than asthmatics with normal weight, less variability of peak expiratory flows (PEF) and bronchodilator response,increased induced sputum and systemic markers of inflammation and an increased prevalence of atopy. Obese subjects have an increased incidence of co-morbidities such as rhinosinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux and sleep apnea syndrome. This study aims to determine if, in comparison with asthmatics with a normal weight, paired for age and sex, obese subjects with asthma (all not using anti-inflammatory agents) show: A more uncontrolled asthma, increased health care use and poorer quality of life A reduced response to bronchodilators and diurnal variability of expiratory flows More marked airway inflammation and evidences of a systemic inflammatory response An increased prevalence of co-morbidities which can influence the report of respiratory symptoms or the severity of the disease, such as esophageal reflux symptoms, upper airway disease (rhinitis) and sleep apnea syndrome or other sleep disorder.

To evaluate whether beclomethasone dipropionate / formoterol (BDP/FOR; Fostair® 100/6) is at least equivalent in terms of exacerbation prevention to fluticasone dipropionate / salmeterol (FP/SAL; Seretide® 125) in matched asthma patients switching to BDP/FOR following treatment with FP/SAL in normal clinical practice compared with patients not switched.

Polymorphism at codon 16 of the beta2-adrenoceptor (beta2-AR) affects the responsiveness to salmeterol in asthmatics. Data concerning formoterol are more controversial in literature. The aim of this study was to verify whether homozygote for arginine-16 (ArgArg16) and homozygote for glycine-16 (GlyGly16) genotypes differently influence the long-term responsiveness to formoterol.

Asthma is a common chronic disorder of the airways characterized by periods of reversible airflow obstruction known as asthma episodes or attacks. Asthma attacks are caused by chronically hyperactive (contraction of the muscles surrounding the airways) and inflamed airways, leading to airflow obstruction, and may be mild, moderate, or severe enough to become life-threatening events. Severity of asthma exacerbation is assessed through medical history and lung function measurements with Spirometer and requires full cooperation of the patient. Thus, in uncooperative populations or during emergency medical situations the spirometer cannot be used. As an alternative, capnography data has been proposed as an indicator of bronchospasm in asthma. Previous studies found correlations between the capnography parameters and methacholine challenge in asthma patients. However, the relationship between capnography parameters and severity of asthma or severity of asthma exacerbation have not been well characterized. The study hypothesis is that within the clinical population that is invited to do the methacholine challenge, a different waveform pattern in asthma patients will be detected and possibly a correlation between the severity of obstruction and pattern of waveform during the methacholine challenge. In this proposed feasibility observational study, sixty subjects, both men and women, who will be invited to participate in the methacholine challenge in the Institute of Pulmonary Medicine at Rabin Medical Center, will be recruited to the study. Respiratory information will be recorded using the CapnostreamTM20p while the subjects will wear the non-invasive Smart CapnoLine® Plus sampling line. Additionally, FeNO will be measured using a DENOX 88 device during the methacholine challenge.