Active clinical trials for "Collagen Diseases"

Introduction: The medical treatment of inflammatory rheumatic diseases has improved dramatically during the last decades primarily due to the introduction of biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). However, bDMARD treatment failure occurs in 30-40% of patients due to lack of effectiveness or side effects. The tools to predict treatment outcomes in the individual patient are currently limited. The objective of the present study is to identify diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers, which can be used to 1) diagnose inflammatory rheumatic diseases early in the disease course with high specificity and sensitivity, 2) improve prognostication or 3) predict treatment effectiveness and tolerability for the individual patient. Methods and analysis: Observational and translational open cohort study with prospective collection of clinical data and biological materials in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases treated in routine care. Patients contribute one cross-sectional blood sample (i.e. whole blood, serum, EDTA-plasma and -buffy coat, and blood in PAXgene RNA tubes) and/or are enrolled for longitudinal follow-up upon start of new DMARD (blood sampling after 0/3/6/12/24/36/48/60 months' treatment). Demographics, disease characteristics, comorbidities and lifestyle factors are registered at inclusion; DMARD treatment and outcomes are collected repeatedly during follow-up. Currently (June 2017) >5,000 samples from ≈3,000 patients have been collected. Data will be analysed using appropriate statistical analyses. Ethics and dissemination: The protocol is approved by the Danish Ethics Committee and The Danish Data Protection Agency. All participants give written informed consent. Biomarkers will be evaluated and published according to REMARK, STROBE and STARD guidelines. Results will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at international conferences.

The purpose of this study is to understand variation in the symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis using simple, scalable smartphone-based measurements. This study uses an iPhone app to record these symptoms through questionnaires and sensors.

The goal of this observational study has the purpose of collecting biological samples from obese patients undergoing evaluation for weight loss by means of medical or endoscopic therapies; and of post bariatric surgery patients presenting with short- and long-term surgical complications. The aim is to enhance the overall understanding of the mechanisms leading to obesity, weight loss, failure to lose weight, and weight regain following treatment. Additional goals are to determine the efficacy of endoscopic and surgical procedures, to identify potential therapeutic targets and disease biomarkers that predict response to therapy.

A joint is considered "hypermobile" when it has a greater range of motion than normal for a given age, ethnicity or gender. Many people have asymptomatic hyperlaxity in multiple joints, a condition called Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH). Conversely, hyperlaxity can be symptomatic, a condition that has been defined "Joint Hypermobility Syndrome" - JHS. Diagnosis of JHS is commonly performed by applying the revised Brighton criteria. Based on these criteria, an individual is diagnosed with JHS with a Beighton score >/= 4/9, and arthralgia for 3 or more months in 4 or more joints (major criteria). The dynamic body balance test (i.e. the stability test with multiple single-leg jumps) can provide information regarding the effectiveness of the feedforward and feedback mechanisms in correcting the postural deviations necessary to achieve successful performance during daily and sporting activities. Such assessment may also be useful to demonstrate deficiencies in balance, especially in young patients with increased physical activity. The aim of this study is to examine the postural balance of individuals with JHS by performing stability tests in monopodalic and bipodalic stance with the "Delos Postural Proprioceptive System"

Continuation of the CARRA Registry as described in the protocol will support data collection on patients with pediatric-onset rheumatic diseases. The CARRA Registry will form the basis for future CARRA studies. In particular, this observational registry will be used to answer pressing questions about therapeutics used to treat pediatric rheumatic diseases, including safety questions.

Glucocorticoids remain to be among the most important and most frequently used anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive or immune-modulatory acting drugs to treat rheumatic (and other) diseases. Unfortunately, glucocorticoids also exert undesired effects, especially if higher dosages have to be given over longer periods of time. The available data describing frequency and severity of these adverse effects are fragmentary. This statement is especially true for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) in the context of chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases or (in part) psoriasis(arthritis). The state of knowledge and scientific data, being sparse, is partly conflicting and often derived from over-aged projects or studies. Therefore, there are urgent needs to work on various current questions systematically and at the highest scientific level possible. In order to address these needs, we aim at collecting and analyzing disease- and bone-related data from patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases or psoriasis and therapy with glucocorticoids, and to build a respective GIOP-Databank. Patients will attend for diagnostics, and where necessary therapy and follow-up of GIOP, according to current guidelines. Clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination results from more than 1000 patients in the first three years of the project are planned to be documented in a prospective database.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a disease-modifying, anti-rheumatic drug that regulates immune system activity and is typically prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as other immune conditions. Although generally well tolerated, study data have demonstrated that long-term use of HCQ may lead to irreversible and potentially vision-threatening retinal toxicity. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) issued guidelines in 2011, and again in 2016 that recommended dosing of HCQ be based on an individual's body weight, and also outlined how and when to screen for retinal toxicity. While clinicians have been aware of the potential side effects of HCQ for decades, studies have shown that many patients continue to receive higher than recommended doses. The goal of this study is to conduct a pragmatic trial to assess the utility of a new e-prescribing (eRX) interface for prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). The investigators will measure the effectiveness of the system in reducing the number of individuals prescribed HCQ over current guidelines by randomizing clinicians to the new interface. Ideally, the eRX interface will result in a lower number of potential adverse events (i.e. retinal toxicity) associated with high-dose, long-term use of HCQ.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and its treatment carry profound public health and economic implications. Among Veterans, IHD represents one of the most common causes of death and disability, with over 500,000 affected individuals' annually. Rheumatic disease, though far less common than IHD can affect multiple organ systems and requires therapies costing in excess of $50,000 a year. Optimal treatment of Veterans with IHD and rheumatic disease requires a number of medications to maintain or improve health. Not taking medications as prescribed, however, is common and increases the risk of subsequent adverse events (cardiac death and myocardial infarction [MI]). To improve medication adherence rates and the cardiac health of Veterans with IHD, the investigators propose to test a medication adherence intervention. Known as VA SEPPRMACI-ARM (Secondary Event Prevention using Population Risk Management After PCI and for Anti-Rheumatic Medications), this intervention will consist of: proactive real-time adherence monitoring of patients and targeting of individuals if they have not refilled their medication a given number of days after it was due for refill. The intervention will employ a tailored, escalating-intensity approach which begins with some combination of personalized short messaging service (SMS) text messages and interactive voice response (IVR) telephone technology, depending on patient preference. Patients not completing SMS and then IVR by not refilling their medication (or declining SMS and not completing IVR) escalate to a trained research interventionalist. The interventionalist will contact the patient and address adherence barriers based on the dimensions outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) that are specific to each patient. The investigators will test the intervention on IHD patients who have recently undergone PCI-a cardiac procedure commonly used among IHD patients to improve the heart's blood flow and in patients starting anti-rheumatic medication. The investigators will test the intervention at four VA Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories (CCLs) and have 12 sites serving as usual care controls.

A double-blind randomized controlled trial on the safety and immunogenicity of the recombinant subunit herpes zoster vaccine, Shingrix, in patients with rheumatic diseases undergoing immunosuppressive or biologic/targeted DMARD therapies

In this study the investigators will examine patients who have undergone unilateral ACL reconstruction surgery to determine which structural and functional characteristics of the knee two and ten years post reconstruction surgery, aspects of the original injury and repair, and patient characteristics are risk factors for osteoarthritis after ACL reconstruction surgery.