Active clinical trials for "Lung Diseases"

This study will test whether using the Biodex BioStep Semi Recumbent Elliptical for the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient with arthritic limitations will improve participation in a pulmonary rehab program compared to the Nustep elliptical. The main outcome of participation will be measured by the number of exercise sessions the patient is able to complete during their pulmonary rehabilitation program. In addition, distance walked in six minutes, dyspnea score, rate of perceived exertion (RPE) score, Pain Scale Index score, and finally, the Dartmouth Quality of Life index (DQL) will be assessed in both groups. It is believed that the new machine will provide better overall outcomes compared to the traditional machine.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the reliability of the impedance data in adult subjects measured with five different FOT devices.

The purpose of this study is to gain insight in the distress experience and quality of life of patients suspected of having a serious lung disease during the diagnostic phase and the period between diagnosis and start of treatment

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a frequent airway disease characterized by both bronchial inflammation and remodelling. Bronchial mucosa is infiltrated by macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes. In addition, the number of eosinophils can be also increased during exacerbation. Airway remodelling is an abnormal tissue repair following bronchial inflammation, which contributes to none reversible pathological features, such as bronchial and peri-bronchial fibrosis. It also influences the prognosis of COPD and its mechanisms remain largely unknown. The role of fibrocytes has been demonstrated in the pathophysiology of asthma, lung fibrosis or pulmonary hypertension. However, the recruitment of blood fibrocytes and their involvement in COPD airway remodelling remain unknown.

Alpha 1-antitrypsin-deficient individuals develop severe destructive lung disease much earlier and their lung function declines faster than the general population of individuals with chronic obstructive lung disease. This study is designed to better understand the pathogenesis of lung destruction in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficient individuals and to characterize the pathobiology of early lung destruction. To accomplish this we intend to use bronchoalveolar lavage to determine and quantify the factors that initiate and sustain lung inflammation in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficient individuals with lung function above a force expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of greater than 50% of predicted.

Background: In a national Norwegian cohort of children born before 28 weeks gestation or with a birth weight less than 1000 g born in 1999 and 2000, 372 survived. Compared with earlier studies survival increased for the most immature infants, but at the cost of more early complications and a high rate of impairments, while the less immature children had fewer early complications and less impairments detectable within 5 years. These changes show the importance of monitoring outcome as treatment modalities change. Large brain haemorrhages were highly predictive of severe disabilities, but we have not found good predictive factors for milder impairments such as cognitive, behavioural and motor difficulties. However, at 5 years later function may be difficult to predict, and the children's potentials are better understood after completing several years in school. Objectives: The children will be re-examined at age 11 in order to assess their physical and mental health, and cognitive, motor and social function, and to determine if early life events and development at 2 and 5 years are predictive of long term health and functioning. MRI-studies, including functional MRI will be performed to examine if different outcomes related to brain function can be explained by differences in brain development. Methods: For all, data will be collected from the compulsory national test in 5th grade and questionnaires to the child, parents and teacher. For children in Western Norway (n=87) extensive examinations of lung and brain function, including clinical diagnostic tests and MRI, will be added. For all aspects of the study the investigators have appropriate current and historic reference populations for comparison. Implications: Knowledge on causes and of early predictions of outcome is needed to give appropriate advice to families, professionals and society, and to develop preventive programs.

Objective: To investigate the potential role of endothelial dysfunction as a pathogenic mechanism of cardiovascular events in COPD. Hypothesis: endothelial function is abnormal in patients with COPD, particularly during exacerbations of the disease. Design: prospective and controlled study performed in an university hospital. Population: we compare 4 groups of subjects, 44 patients with stable COPD, 35 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD, 10 smokers or former smokers with normal lung function and 10 never smokers matched by physical activity and BMI. Study variables: a) clinical variables: clinical information, physical examination, pulmonary function tests, ECG and sputum culture; b) Biological variables: number of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells, vascular growth factors (vascular endothelial growht factor and erythropoietin), systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein, white blood cells), peripheral venous blood test (including hemogram, biochemical analysis with glycemia, cholesterol, LDLcol, HDLcol); and c) systemic vascular reactivity assessment.

The presence of an abnormally increased pulmonary blood pressure worsens the prognosis of patients with interstitial pulmonary disease. The aim of this study is to estimate the frequency of an increased blood pressure in the lungs among patient with interstitial pulmonary disease, and to evaluate the use of different biomarkers in diagnosis of the condition.

The purpose of this study is to determine risk factors associated with the development of lung disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Depending on the results and findings of this study, it may be possible to predict who is at higher risk of serious complications and ultimately develop therapies to prevent or treat this lung disease.

In the present study inflammatory mediators will be isolated in induced sputum and exhaled breath condensate and will be correlated with particulate matter measured in these samples.Particulate matter will be assessed by partcle size distribution method and shape analysis. The aim of the study is to perform biological monitoring in environmental and occupational diseases in a non invassive fashion.