Active clinical trials for "Lung Diseases"

The purpose of this study is to test whether a breath training exercise program may be used to make patients with chronic lung conditions feel less short of breath, whether such a program is well received by patients and whether a future larger study is worthwhile. The breath training exercise program uses some breathing techniques derived from Yoga practices. They were shown to help patients experiencing shortness of breath feel less short of breath in other settings. Whether the training is beneficial to patients with chronic lung conditions, especially those with a history of cancer affecting their lungs, is not clear. This study would help us answer that question.

Patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) suffer from episodes of acute exacerbations leading to additional morbidity and mortality, and also a further decline in lung function. It has been well-established that bacterial colonization is prevalent in COPD, especially in moderate to severe COPD, and airway bacterial colonization is known to play an important role in the development of pneumonia and exacerbations. On the other way, inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long acting β2 agonist (LABA) were recommended in the treatment of moderate to severe COPD. Though there were some evidences that ICS had some protective effects on airway mucosa against bacteria invasion, the locally immunosuppressive effects of ICS is still a concern. Indeed, the incidence of pneumonia was higher than the control group, not only in the Towards a Revolution in COPD Health (TORCH) study but also in various studies and meta-analyses.We hypothesized that airway bacteria colonization is associated with disease severity, and that disease status can be identified by CAT (COPD assessment test)scores and changes of CAT scores. We therefore conducted this prospective, observational study in which CAT scores and sputum cultures were assessed in moderate to severe COPD patients with the combination therapy of ICS and LABA every three months during the study period. The primary end-point is the condition of potential pathogenic microorganisms (PPM) colonization in view of CAT scores. The second end-point was the changes of PPM colonization in association with CAT changes during follow-up. By the mean of CAT follow-up, it could possibly provide a surrogate about the risk of exacerbation and pneumonia under the combination therapy of ICS and LABA.

As part of the long-term goal of successfully implementing tissue regeneration strategies in an individualized manner for patients with thoracic diseases including, but not limited to: cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension, the investigators will assess the feasibility of collecting skin biopsies from patients undergoing surgery for thoracic disease, culturing skin fibroblasts from the biopsy, and reprogramming these skin fibroblasts into induced pluripotent cells.

The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that early viral infections alter the bacterial flora and inflammatory profile in the airway and accelerate progression of pulmonary disease in infants with cystic fibrosis.

The investigators will determine which factors are predictive for the development and severity of everolimus-induced interstitial lung disease and will develop a prediction model based on these risk factors.

It is well established that steroid use is a benefit in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with acute exacerbation (AE). But it is still debated about the regimen and dosage of steroid use. From this retrospective review of medical charts, the researchers investigated the therapeutic impact of various steroid dosages in COPD with AE.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and largely irreversible lung disease characterized by chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, resulting in breathlessness, cough and sputum. As COPD progresses, patients experience increasing deterioration of their health-related quality of life, with greater impairment in their ability to work and declining participation in social and physical activities. The aim of this non-interventional study is to evaluate data on quality of life in COPD patients in Germany in a real life medical setting under therapy with the phosphodiesterase-inhibitor (PDE-4) roflumilast (Daxas). Evaluation is based on two COPD specific questionnaires to assess the patient's health status over six months. During the study, lung function measurements such as spirometry will be conducted according to common medical standard. Daxas (tablet) will be administered once daily. The study will provide further data on the safety and tolerability of Daxas.

HIV-infected patients have an increased incidence of emphysema compared to non-HIV-infected patients, and it has been hypothesized that this accelerated disease progression is the result of one or more latent infections that amplifies the pulmonary inflammatory response. The investigators will examine the prevalence and progression of emphysema in subjects with and without HIV and determine risk factors for emphysema in this population.

The overall purpose of PA-SCOPE is to determine why black and rural residents of Pennsylvania might be at higher risk for deadly, debilitating, and costly hospitalizations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)- and then to show that repeat acute exacerbations in high-risk patients can be reduced with one simple intervention. We believe that 1) COPD patients who are black or who live in rural areas of Pennsylvania are at higher risk of acute exacerbations requiring hospitalization and 2) this elevated risk can be reduced with one simple intervention: access to a 1-800 Temple Call Center where patients can get immediate customized advice on managing COPD exacerbations in their early stages. We will test these beliefs in PA-SCOPE. The collaborators with Temple University Hospital on the PA-SCOPE project are Lancaster General Hospital, Western Pennsylvania Hospital, and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Pulmonary inflammation plays an important role in the early development of CLD. Postnatal glucocorticoids have been shown effective in the prevention or treatment of CLD with various success. However, systemic glucocorticoid therapy often associated with various short term and long term complications. Therefore, modification of the therapeutic regimen is needed. Inhaled steroid, including inhaled budesonide,have been tried but the results are essentially unsuccessful, most likely due to small airways that the inhaled steroid reaching to the peripheral lungs are limited and unpredictable. Direct instillation of budesonide into the airway has also shown to be ineffective, possibly due to poor distribution of steroid in the lungs. The investigators hypothesize that intratracheal instillation of budesonide, a strong tropical steroid, using surfactant as vehicle would facilitate the delivery of budesonide to the lung periphery and would inhibit lung inflammation and improve the pulmonary outcome. The result of our pilot study (Pediatrics, 2008) indicated this high possibility.