Active clinical trials for "Connective Tissue Diseases"

The purpose of this research study is to test the safety of losartan potassium and see what effects (good and bad) it has on you and your eosinophilic esophagitis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of connective tissue massage in patients with migraine

Researchers are trying to find out more about the safety of a new treatment, Allogeneic (coming from a healthy donor) Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMD-MSCs) which is still experimental, for Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) associated with Connective Tissue Disorder (CTD).

Sildenafil is a selective pulmonary vasodilator; in patients with a special kind of pulmonary hypertension it is approved for treatment. The trial seeks to find out, whether the acute response to this treatment (= vasoreactivity testing) given intravenously is effective and allows prediction of therapy success during a following oral treatment.

To assess the onset of action of linezolid

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a connective tissue disease that causes skin rash and weak muscles in children. The purpose of this study is to measure the absorption of oral prednisolone and intravenous (IV) methylprednisolone and to determine levels of disease activity indicators in the blood. These levels will be compared to see if there are patterns specific to active and less active JDM.

Tolerogenic dendritic cell (tDC)-based clinical trials for the treatment of autoimmune diseases are now a reality. Clinical trials are currently exploring the effectiveness of tDC to treat of type 1 diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a single intra-articular injection (into the knee joint) of autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells generated in the presence of interferon-alpha (IFN-α)/granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tolerized with Dexamethasone in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Bovine Lung Surfactant is used as standard therapy for reducing alveolar surface tension in preterm infants. Here the drug is administered via airways. The use on skin to stimulate the wound healing has not yet been tested in humans, i.e. it is not yet approved for the treatment of wound healing disorders. In the planned clinical trial Lung Surfactant is used the first time for the local treatment of skin lesions in humans. No substance related side effects were observed during the application via airways in neonates. The innovative idea to use lung surfactant for skin wound healing derived from two observations. First, when the skin is injured, the barrier protecting the moist body surface from the dry environment is discontinued and in part lost. Lung surfactant has several characteristics that might be beneficial for treatment of chronic cutaneous wounds.

Background: - Behcet's disease (BD) is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the body. People with BD may develop oral or genital ulcers, skin problems, and eye disease. Most drugs used to treat BD suppress the immune system, but they are not always helpful and may have side effects. A new drug, anakinra, may be able to treat BD with fewer side effects. Because it has not been studied in people with BD, anakinra is considered an experimental treatment. Objectives: - To test whether anakinra can be a safe and effective treatment for Behcet s disease. Eligibility: - People who have Behcet's disease with ongoing oral or genital ulcers for at least one month, or three or more flares of eye disease in the past 6 months. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will also have blood and urine tests. They will be divided into two groups: those with oral or genital ulcers and those with eye disease. All participants will keep a diary of symptoms for a month before starting the study drug. Participants with oral or genital ulcers will receive daily injections of anakinra for 3 to 6 months. Treatment will be monitored with frequent blood draws and daily diaries. Those who improve but do not have a full response to the drug may receive a higher dose. Those who improve after 6 months may have an extra 6 months on either anakinra or placebo to study the differences in response. Participants with eye disease will receive anakinra for up to 12 months. Treatment will be monitored with frequent blood draws, daily diaries, and regular eye exams. All participants will have a final study visit 1 month after stopping the study drug.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is characterised by inflammation and scarring of the lung and is the leading cause of death in patients with systemic sclerosis, and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in many other connective tissue diseases (CTDs) such as polymyositis/dermatomyositis and mixed connective tissue disease. When ILD is extensive and/or progressive, immunosuppressive medication is often required to stabilize lung disease and alleviate symptoms. Current standard care for CTD associated ILD is extrapolated from studies performed in individuals with systemic sclerosis and comprises low dose corticosteroids and intravenous cyclophosphamide followed by oral azathioprine. In some individuals even this intensive immunosuppression is insufficient to prevent deterioration, and in a significant minority of affected individuals this results in respiratory failure and death. Rituximab has recently been reported as an effective 'rescue therapy' for stabilizing and even improving ILD in this patient group. Based on observations gained from this experience, the investigators believe that rituximab is a potential important alternative to current best therapy for this patient group. This study has therefore been initiated to evaluate the efficacy of rituximab (compared with standard therapy) in patients with progressive CTD related ILD.