Active clinical trials for "Lung Diseases"

The purpose of this study is to determine if pulmonary rehabilitation has any effect on breathlessness, quality of life, physical function and depression in persons with interstitial lung disease.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of diaphragm mobility on exercise capacity and dyspnoea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The purpose of this trial is to verify if an osteopathic treatment added to usual pulmonary rehabilitation trial is able to improve the walking ability of COPD patients and if there is any influence on lung functionality.

Spirometry is a useful clinical tool for the assessment and monitoring of lung disease, however, it does not provide information on peripheral airways resistance. On the contrary, impulse oscillometry (IOS) may provide information not only on airway resistance (Rrs) but also on the elastic properties of the lung (Xrs). In addition, multiple breath nitrogen washout (MBNW) utilizes the exhalation of nitrogen gas from the airways to determine changes in lung ventilation and derive small airways indices (that tells us about small airways calibre). This method, like IOS, allows a precise assessment of small airways function. Even though patients with asthma may show some reduction of the caliber of the small airways these changes are more a feature of patients with COPD. The study team hypothesize that IOS and MBNW measurements may detect these differences and provide different resistance profiles for asthma and COPD. Furthermore, the study team would like to investigate the relationship between airway inflammation and small airway disease by measuring exhaled nitric oxide (NO) at multiple exhalation flow rates. This technique allows the partitioning of NO produced in the central airways from that generated more peripherally in the lung, providing valuable information on the activity of inflammation in different parts of the respiratory system. The study team hope that the combined use of IOS, MBNW and NO will identify a possible correlation between inflammation and small airway dysfunction.

The purpose of this study is to obtain biologic materials from the blood and lungs of normal individuals to establish a set of normal range for various parameters. These will provide important information when applied to individuals with various pulmonary diseases, and will help in understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of various lung diseases.

Under daily routine conditions and without any intervention by the sponsor regarding the selection of subjects, diagnostic procedures, therapeutic decisions (medicinal and non- medicinal therapy, dose, duration, etc.), routine assessments, the participating physicians (i.e.general practitioners and internists) are asked to document relevant data related to the budesonide/formoterole therapy in patients with COPD.

This observational non-interventional study is designed to demonstrate the improvement of physical function in COPD patients with exercise-induced dyspnoea on treatment with Spiriva (tiotropium 18 µg capsules) and allows adverse events to be recorded and evaluated.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are suggested to play a pivotal role in ILD. Little is known, however, about the endogenous antioxidant levels in ILD that can offer protection against ROS. It is expected that the high amount of ROS present in ILD will reduce the antioxidant levels. Therefore, antioxidant therapy to strengthen this reduced antioxidant defense might be efficacious in ILD treatment. Since ROS are capable of initiating and mediating inflammation, antioxidant therapy might also mitigate elevated inflammation. A candidate for antioxidant therapy is the flavonoid quercetin that is known for its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory capacities. The aim of the present study is to determine the antioxidant and inflammatory status in ILD, i.e. sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Furthermore, to evaluate the possible anti-inflammatory effects of antioxidants, the effect of quercetin will be examined on the ex vivo LPS-induced cytokine production in ILD

The goal of this study is to identify the modifying genes and environmental features that regulate the clinical expression of mutations in bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2); to develop the understanding of how BMPR2 mutations result in disease; and to identify the undiscovered genetic mutations that cause primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).

To study the genetic basis of obstructive sleep apnea using a genealogical approach.