Active clinical trials for "Fibrosis"

This study is to evaluate the expression of biological markers in induced sputum and peripheral blood T lymphocytes of patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE). The features of CPFE would be observed, including pulmonary function tests and fractional exhaled nitric oxide （FENO）.

Infections are frequent life-threatening events in patients with cirrhosis, occurring at least in 35% of hospitalized patients and accounting for 20% of inpatients death. Among cirrhotics, ascitic patients have the highest risk of death for sepsis. At the admission, no clear-cut clinical and biochemical features are helpful in diagnosing and prognostically stratifying those patients with sepsis. Procalcitonin (PCT)is a breakthrough marker presenting high sensibility and specificity in diagnosing bacterial infections in different clinical settings. The purpose of this study is to evaluate PCT as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for sepsis in hospitalized cirrhotic patients with ascitic decompensation.

Protein-energy malnutrition and muscle wasting are a common finding among patients with liver cirrhosis. Its prevalence may range from 50-90% depending on the methods used for nutritional assessment. Even stable cirrhotic patients referred as Child A have muscle depletion and the majority of patients classified as Child C have significant depletion. Malnutrition has been shown to be related to several complications of cirrhosis Despite the importance of nutritional status in patient's outcome, there is no gold standard for nutritional assessment. Traditional techniques used in healthy subjects to assess nutritional status cannot be used in cirrhotic patients due especially to ascites and peripheral edema, and altered rates of biochemical markers due to liver failure. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis has emerged as a useful method to assess body composition and nutritional status especially in patients at the extremes of body weight (fluid overload, excess of adipose tissue, etc.). The aim of this study is to evaluate whether malnutrition assessed by bioelectrical impedance vector analysis is related to the development of hepatic encephalopathy

To determine the prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacterial infection (NTM) in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis in the State fo Florida. HYPOTHESIS: There is high prevalence of NTM in CF pediatric population in the State of Florida, and likely higher than in the rest of the country.

Due to the limitations and the invasive nature of liver biopsy, there has been extensive interest in developing non-invasive tests to measure liver fibrosis (1). These are alternatives to liver biopsy that can be used in clinical practice, with benefits in terms of cost, risk, and patient convenience (2). Clinically applicable non-invasive tests include radiological studies, transient elastography (TE), and serum markers. We aim at studying acceptability, reliability, applicability and practical aspects of invasive and noninvasive methods for assessment of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis among hepatologists.

Liver cirrhosis represents a worldwide health problem and is a major cause of mortality. Cirrhosis is the common end for chronic alcohol abuse and hepatitis C and B virus infections. Patients who have cirrhosis have varying degrees of compensated liver function, and clinicians need to differentiate between those who have stable, compensated cirrhosis and those who have decompensated cirrhosis. It is shown various complications: portal hypertension, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepato-renal syndrome, etc. Thus, it is important to have this information to manage disease and determine specific therapy. However, register-based studies in have not been reported in Korea. The goal of this study is to describe the natural history of a large number of patients with liver cirrhosis prospectively followed, and to identify predictors of the occurrence of Hepatocellular carcinoma.

Evaluation of kidney function is critical in cirrhotic patients as there is a clear relationship between renal failure and prognosis. The investigators hypothesized that in this population new biomarkers of renal function could help in early detection of acute renal failure and in discrimination between renal and pre-renal causes. Finally the investigators hypothesized that such biomarkers could predict short-term outcome in this population.

The Primary Aim of this study is to validate a questionnaire as a screening tool to identify subjects with symptoms suggestive of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). The investigators believe that there will be difference between subjects with NSF and other skin conditions and normal skin.

The primary objective of this program is to provide expanded access to aztreonam lysine for inhalation (AZLI) 75 mg prior to its commercial availability to patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic P. aeruginosa airway infection who have limited treatment options and are at risk for disease progression.

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that contribute to higher mortality rates among blacks and Hispanics with diffuse parenchymal lung disease.