Active clinical trials for "Cholestasis"

This is an expanded access protocol for use of intravenous fish oil infusion, Omegaven, in infants and children with parenteral nutrition associated liver disease (PNALD) to decrease elevated liver enzymes and direct bilirubin. This study aims to describe the response of PNALD after use of Omegaven by normalization of serum levels of liver enzymes and bilirubin.

Parenteral nutrition associated liver disease (PNALD) in preterm neonates is characterized by early occurrence of intrahepatic cholestasis (parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis (PNAC). Extreme low birth weight infants (ELBW, birth weight < 1000 g) are at increased risk for development of PNAC. Important factors implicated in the aetiology of PNAC are high caloric parenteral nutrition using amino acids or dextrose, but also intravenous lipids and infections in particular necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Due to a change of paradigm a more aggressive nutrition with early use of parenteral amino acids/lipids and early fortification of mothers milk or alternatively high caloric preterm formula is warranted. Accordingly - in line with the existing expert opinion and evidence - the feeding policy at the neonatal care units of our hospital was adapted. Evidence exists that PNAC might be caused by the use of high concentrations of amino acids and lipids in parenteral nutrition. Furthermore NEC is associated with high osmotic feeds. Therefore the incidence of PNAC might be increased directly and indirectly after introducing the new feeding policy. The investigators therefore aim at retrospectively investigating the incidence of PNAC before and after introduction of a feeding policy of "aggressive nutrition" for ELBW infants.

Mutations of the ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 4 (ABCB4) gene, a gene involved in a subtype of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, have been reported in women suffering from intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. The true incidence and the role of these ABCB4 gene mutations in patients suffering from intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy have not been clearly established. The aim of the present study is to describe the nature and frequency of these mutations in a series of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and to compare with a control group of pregnant women without intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is the most common liver disease in pregnancy. It is is a pregnancy-specific liver disorder with onset mainly in the third trimester of pregnancy. ICP is characterized by pruritus, elevated serum fasting bile salts and transaminases and an increased risk of adverse fetal outcomes. Serum autotaxin levels were found highly sensitive and specific biomarker to to differentiate ICP from other pregnancy-related liver disorders or pruritic dermatoses. The purpose of the study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of serum autotaxin activity in cholestasis of pregnancy.

The aim of this study is to investigate maternal and fetal serum IL-17 levels in pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and to find out if Th-17 cells have a role in progress of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

Benign biliary strictures can be endoscopically treated with plastic or self-expandable metal stents (SEMS). The purpose of the prospective randomized study is to compare the safety and feasibility of covered SEMS with multiple plastic stents in the treatment of benign biliary stricture caused by chronic pancreatitis.

Cholestatic jaundice with multitude of causes affects approximately 1 in every 2,500 infants. Of the many conditions that cause neonatal cholestasis, the most commonly identifiable are biliary atresia (BA) (25%-35%). The incidence in Taiwan was 1.2 to 2.0 per 10,000 live birth. Prognosis and survival are improved if bile drainage is restored by a Kasai portoenterostomy. Stool color card was introduced to Taiwan in 2002 and national screening program was started in 2004. The rate of age at Kasai operation <60 days improved from 49.4% before year 2002 to 65.7% after introducing nationwide stool color card screening in Taiwan. There was a great improvement in early diagnosis for biliary atresia after stool color card screening and there were still many researches tried to improve the timing of diagnosis. A prospective cohort observational study on neonates under 27 days old at London showed that serum conjugated bilirubin > 18 micromol/l in plasma measured at 6-10 days is a reliable marker for neonatal cholestasis liver disease with sensitivity 100%, specificity 99.59% (95% CI 99.5-99.67), PPV 10.3% (95% CI 4.50-16.0). Our study aims to developed a screening test for neonatal cholestasis using dry blood spot to improve patient survival by early diagnosis of treatable neonatal cholestasis disease, such as biliary atresia and inborn error of bile acid metabolism. The diseases markers for neonatal cholestasis we aims including basic clinical blood test examination profiles, inflammatory markers, fibrosis markers, immune profiles. In phase I study we will enroll cholestasis patients at National Taiwan University Children Hospital. We will collect patients' blood on dry blood spot and measure the disease markers for cholestasis disease. In phase II study, we will enroll the cholestasis patients and healthy newborn without cholestasis. We will review their newborn screening at 3 days old. Newborn screening dry blood spot will be examined for the disease markers and compared with healthy control without cholestasis. ROC curve analysis will be performed to find the best cut-off to screen for neonatal cholestasis patients. The findings will aid early diagnosis in the patients and hence improve the survival.

The objective of this protocol is to establish a multicenter registry to evaluate the impact of radiofrequency ablation in the management of patients with pancreatico-biliary disorders including malignancies.

So far, the liver has been the main target for cholesterol elimination. However, several recent studies performed in mice have described a new route of cholesterol excretion, the Trans-Intestinal Cholesterol Excretion or TICE. TICE allows direct elimination of plasma cholesterol in the feces directly via the intestine. Until now, only indirect evidence suggests that TICE is also active in humans, the goal of this proof of concept study is to provide the first proof of its existence in humans by using stable isotopes in patients with bile duct diversion.

The bile acids has been demonstrated to cause arrhythmia and abnormal calcium dynamics in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Bile acids may alter maternal cardiomyocyte function like fetus.Increased P-wave duration and P-wave dispersion have been reported in various clinical settings. The investigators hypothesized that PWD and p wave duration may affect in pregnancy with ICP.