Active clinical trials for "Emphysema"

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.

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.

This study is evaluating the effectiveness of a dose counter for an inhaler device used to deliver medication to people diagnosed with asthma or COPD.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that have frequent chest infections are the patients most likely to become worse over time. Why these people are more susceptible to chest infections is not known. One reason might be that the white cells in their lungs called macrophages do not work properly. Normally, these cells remove all the debris inhaled into the lung. This can also include bacteria. In patients with COPD, these macrophages are not able to remove these particles. The research question addresses why this happens

Cigarette smoking is the major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, commonly known as chronic bronchitis and emphysema). Despite this clear link, only 15-20% of smokers develop COPD suggesting that genetic factors affect the lung's susceptibility to the stress of cigarette smoke. The cells lining the airways (epithelium) and cells that help defend the lung (alveolar macrophages) of smokers develop gene expression changes that are different from that of nonsmokers. In the investigators' previous studies they have demonstrated that there are greater than 200 genes that are responsive to cigarette smoke in these cells. But the investigators do not know whether the gene expression is static or changes as a function of time. Genes that show significant changes over time may be relevant to the progression of the disease. Even though quitting smoking reduces the rate at which the lungs decline, many-smokers still go on to develop COPD. This study will provide insights into the natural history of smoking-related gene expression of the lung cells in health and disease.

The SCCOR Minorities study will recruit minority participants from the COPDGene cohort, in whom the University of Pittsburgh has already obtained baseline and five year data, in order to enhance bone mineral density and vascular function data collection from minority smokers. Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans will be obtained to measure bone mineral density. Non-invasive vascular studies will be performed to measure endothelial function. Questionnaires regarding symptoms and activity levels will be administered and a blood sample will be obtained in participants in which blood samples are not already available from the COPDGene study visits.

Background Numerous surgicals treatments have been described for the massive subcutaneous emphysema; however, some of these techniques cannot be carried out in a critical care unit and they are related with high morbidity and exposure in positive SARS COV-2 patients. More effective, less invasive and isolated procedures should be implemented. Technique Negative pressure therapy (NPT) that can allow effective solving of massive subcutaneous emphysema in a short period (5 days) with a minimally invasive approach at the bedside in Covid-19 or non infected critical patients. Conclusion NPT is an effective and low invasive strategy for the management of EES in critical patients with high risk of mortality.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a frequent disease affecting a growing number of adults in the world which is responsible for a large public health burden through heavy morbidity and mortality. Emphysema is one of a wide spectrum of pulmonary complications linked to COPD, defined as the abnormal permanent enlargement of the airspaces distal to the terminal bronchioles accompanied by destruction of the alveolar wall. Disease progression is correlated to worsening and enlargement of emphysema lesions, sometimes conflating in sizeable bullae, deleterious to normal mechanical pulmonary function. Bullous emphysema (BE) is sometimes eligible to invasive curative treatment through surgery or interventional bronchoscopy. Diagnosis of BE relies on computerized tomodensitometry (CT), the gold-standard for evaluating pulmonary parenchyma. However, CT is not always available, and bullous emphysema can present as pneumothorax on chest radiography. The practice of lung ultrasound is currently growing in respiratory medicine and emergency departments owing to an increasing amount of evidence showcasing its reliability as a diagnostic tool, most notably for pneumothorax and other pleural diseases. Despite BE having been reported to present similarly to pneumothorax in ultrasound, its characteristics have not yet been precisely described. The primary aim of this study is to describe BE using lung ultrasound. Participants with known BE on CT will undergo a simple ultrasound examination. The secondary aim is to compare the characteristics of BE to those of pneumothorax using lung ultrasound. To achieve this, a second group of participants with currently treated pneumothorax will also undergo lung ultrasound.

Inuvair® is a novel fixed combination product used in the treatment of asthma and under clinical development for the treatment of COPD. Thanks to the extrafine particle size, it is able to target the whole bronchial tree, including the small airways and hence, is expected to act in these airways and it may thus be beneficial in COPD in that sense. In COPD, its action on the small airways is not directly demonstrated thus far. By way of contrast, dear evidence is present that treatment with bronchodilators alone does not beneficially alter small airway function. The study hypothesis states that the effects of inhaled corticosteroids or ICS/LABA combinations on small airway is present and can be objectivated.

To determine the natural history, etiology, and interrelationships of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and related airways obstructive diseases. Also, to determine the relationship of acute lower respiratory tract illnesses in infants and children to the development of subsequent chronic lung disorders.