Active clinical trials for "Digestive System Diseases"

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a newly developed technique in the field of endoscopic treatment for GI neoplasms, because of its high rate of en bloc resection. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESD for GI neoplasms.

Immunotherapy is now considered to be one of promising approaches for treating cancer. Radiation therapy has been to be a cornerstone treatment for unresectable advanced esophageal cancer. Radiation-induced mutation genes were identified as new sources of tumor associated antigens using exon sequencing and peptide microarray technologies. Epitope peptides for these targets are able to induce peptide specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). In this clinical trial, investigators evaluate the efficacy and safety of peptide specific CTL therapy in combination with radiation therapy in treating patients with unresectable, advanced or recurrent esophageal cancer.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of autologous tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic and cytokine-induced killer cells (DC-CIK) for colorectal cancer (CRC).

The purpose of this study is to investigate if food supplements,Antrodia cinnamomea, could minimize the gastrointestinal symptom of cancer patients with chemotherapy.

The investigators hypothesize that the extent of sulfation of toxic BAs and their urinary elimination can be used as a biomarker to predict the severity and prognosis of hepatobiliary diseases. The investigators rationale in this project is that the discovery of biomarkers specific to liver injury would provide the foundation for a specific and non-invasive tool to evaluate disease prognosis, determine patients with higher risk of developing end-stage liver diseases, and determine patients with higher risk of recurrence of hepatobiliary complications after liver transplant. Patients on the liver transplant list are continuously monitored during their hospitalization and are scheduled for follow-up visits for 12 months after their release post-surgery. Disease progression will be evaluated by monitoring MELD scores, survival, incidence of liver transplant, and incidence of complications related to hepatobiliary conditions such as fluid retention, GI bleeding, encephalopathy, and biliary stricture complications.

Since the first description of citrulline as a potential marker for intestinal function in 1998, its use has been investigated in a variety of disease processes including Short Bowel Syndrome, Celiac disease, chemotherapy and radiation induced intestinal injury, infections producing intestinal cytopathic effects like Adenovirus, and predicting rejection in intestinal transplantation. The use of citrulline levels as a diagnostic tool to predict gastrointestinal disease in the premature population has not been properly addressed. The introduction of enteral nutrition in the premature infant is a process of trial and error, knowing that the immaturity of the gastrointestinal system may lead to frequent episodes of feeding intolerance. This is augmented by the fear of the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) once feeds are commenced. NEC is a condition characterized by disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier, a pathogenic process shared with some of the conditions mentioned above for which citrulline has proven clinically useful. A normal pattern of citrulline production has not been established in the premature population. Previous studies have shown decreased levels of glutamine and arginine in premature infants up to 10 days prior to the development of necrotizing enterocolitis. Glutamine and arginine are two amino acids closely involved in the synthesis and catabolism of citrulline. The investigators therefore hypothesize that defining a normal pattern of citrulline production in the premature population may prove to be a clinically useful diagnostic tool to screen for gastrointestinal disease.

Background: - Food allergies are characterized by abnormal immune system responses to certain foods, such as peanuts, strawberries, and shellfish. Some individuals with these allergies have immediate allergic reactions on contact with the food in question and need immediate treatment to prevent severe complications. In contrast, eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal disorders are related disorders in which white blood cells in the intestinal tract react to certain foods, causing abdominal pain, nausea, and other digestion problems. Researchers are interested in studying these conditions to better understand how the immune system responds to food allergies. Objectives: To examine how the immune system responds to food allergens. To examine how certain white blood cells contribute to disease in individuals with food allergies and other inflammatory diseases. Eligibility: Individuals between 18 and 65 years of age who have a history of (a) severe allergic reaction to peanuts (and have peanut-specific antibodies), (b) allergy or inflammatory disease, or (c) eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal disorder (with at least two documented food allergies). Healthy volunteers between 18 and 65 years of age who have no known allergies or asthma. Design: All participants will have a screening visit and a procedure visit. The procedure visit will take place within 30 to 60 days of the screening visit, and will take 3 to 4 hours depending on the procedure(s) done. Participants will be screened with a physical examination and medical history, and will provide blood samples for testing. Participants with peanut or other allergies will have additional tests to determine their levels of sensitivity to certain foods. Participants with eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal disorder will provide stool samples for testing. At the procedure visit, participants with peanut allergies and participants with other allergies will provide blood samples and have leukapherisis to collect white blood cells for examination. At the procedure visit, healthy volunteers and participants with eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal disorder will provide blood samples and have leukapherisis to collect white blood cells for examination. In addition, some but not all of these participants will have a procedure called esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which will examine the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Participants who are scheduled to have EGD will be asked to fast for 6 hours before the procedure.

The purpose of this study is to examine if the correct use of antibiotics, as well as the application of one-day-treatment, in the therapy of periodontal diseases. The population of treated patients (184) are divided in 4 groups; Group 1: Metronidazole + mechanical treatment in one day, Group 2: Placebo + mechanical treatment in one day Group 3: Metronidazole + mechanical treatment on day 1 and 21 Group 4: Placebo + mechanical treatment on day 1 and 21 End points, BOP, Plaque, PPD, CAL, RAL, Microbiology will be recorded on all sites at 3 months, 1 -, 3 -, and 5 years post-treatment

Given the current Covid-19 pandemic alongside the lack of evidence on aerosolization during upper endoscopy the investigators are conducting a randomized controlled trial seeking to assess both the level of aerosolization that occurs during these procedures along with determining if utilization of an endoscopic patient face-masks reduces the level of aerosolized particles. The protocol includes the use of a commercially available particle counter the investigators are employing for the measurement of aerosols before, during, and after anesthesia assisted upper endoscopic procedures. The investigators are recruiting patients undergoing these procedures with a target of 30 patients undergoing endoscopy without a facemask and 30 patients undergoing endoscopy with one.

To compare the rates of incisional surgical site infections (iSSIs) within 7 days of hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery using negative pressure wound therapy (NWPT) versus using standard sterile gauze dressing.