Active clinical trials for "Fibrosis"

This study will examine the experience of disclosing a cystic fibrosis (CF) diagnosis to a dating partner. CF has implications for potential life partners (issues of fertility, decreased life span and an increasing need for medical management with age) that may make disclosure particularly sensitive. An understanding of the disclosure process may provide insight into ways health care practitioners can support their patients during this process. People between 21 and 35 years of age with CF who have been in at least one dating relationship may be eligible for this study. Participants are interviewed by telephone about their experiences living with cystic fibrosis and telling dating partners about their diagnosis. The interview includes questions about: Past experiences disclosing their CF diagnosis to a dating partner What information was disclosed versus what was not disclosed Why certain information was disclosed or not disclosed Positive and negative implications of the disclosure or non-disclosure The interview lasts about 60 minutes and is tape-recorded for later review and analysis.

A number of studies have shown that the quality of life of two common interstitial lung diseases (ild), sarcoidosis and pulmonary fibrosis patients, is impaired and that fatigue is a substantial problem for those patients. Furthermore, breathlessness is an additional major problem in pulmonary fibrosis. In the field of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, personality factors have shown to play a role in patient's morbidity, mortality, quality of life, fatigue, depressive symptoms, and one study showed a predictive role of personality factors in health care consumption. No studies examining personality factors have been performed in sarcoidosis or pulmonary fibrosis. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine the role of personality factors as predictors of fatigue, quality of life, prognosis, and health care consumption in sarcoidosis and pulmonary fibrosis. In this study a number of possible moderators, such as social support, will also be examined, aiming to get a full picture of the relationship between the various factors examined. Known and new sarcoidosis and pulmonary fibrosis patients (inclusion period 1 year) of ild care team of the outpatient clinic of the department of Respiratory Medicine of the University Hospital Maastricht will be asked to participate through completing questionnaires at baseline and every six months for 18 months, and allowing the researchers access to their medical records for the purpose of this study.

The Pennsylvania Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis State-wide Research Registry (PA-IPF) is a cooperative project between five medical centers to coordinate a team of investigators. The aim of this registry will be: 1) To assess the extent of lung fibrosis in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania 2) To provide better access of patients with pulmonary fibrosis in all regions of Pennsylvania to standard of care and diagnosis 3) To facilitate the translation of new therapeutic interventions from the bench to the bedside.

Study Hypothesis: We hypothesize that cellular markers from nasal epithelial cells and blood lymphocytes can serve as potential biomarkers reflect the underlying inflammatory state of the lung and will be helpful in determining the presence of a CF pulmonary exacerbation and its overall severity.

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.). With previous results from our research group, BIVA showed to be useful for evaluating cirrhotic patients. The aim of this study is to validate our previous results and validate BIVA for nutritional assessment in patients with liver cirrhosis

This is a point prevalence study conducted entirely in the United States (US) to establish the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) and other selected porcine viruses in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients receiving pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) for pancreatic insufficiency compared with matched (age and region of residence) control patients with chronic medical conditions unexposed to PERT.

Physical activity seems to be a prognostic factor for quality of life and survival in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Whereas their exercise capacity has been assessed through medical examination, their daily physical activity has been little studied. Activity monitors have measured physical activity only in a few studies which considered mainly respiratory status and more recently bone mineral density and body composition. Determinants of physical activity in patients with CF remain largely unknown. The objective of this study is to measure daily physical activity with activity monitors in adult patients with CF and to investigate the determinants of physical activity, with a focus on extra-respiratory factors (nutritional status, diabetes, bone mineralization, anxiety and/or depression, cardiac impairment). Seventy adult patients with CF, regularly cared at the Cochin adult CF centre, will be recruited in a stable period during their annual review. During this assessment, laboratory tests will be carried out (especially parameters for nutritional status), as well as measurement of body composition and bone mineral density, respiratory function tests and a 6 minute walk test, and echocardiography. Patients will wear for 7 consecutive days a multi-sensor armband SenseWear on the arm, to assess the intensity of physical activity in metabolic equivalents (METS) and steps per day. Finally, patients will complete three self-administered questionnaires: Quality of Life (CFQ14 +), hospital anxiety depression scale and physical activity. After a descriptive analysis of the study cohort, we will study qualitative and quantitative criteria related to physical activity (assessed quantitatively by the number of steps/day or metabolic equivalents). Linear regression models will then be developed to assess the independent factors associated with physical activity, adjusting for different variables of interest related to patients demographic, behavioral, clinical (respiratory and non-respiratory ) and biological parameters. Conversely, the "predictive" independent aspect of physical activity will be studied according to respiratory function, nutritional status and quality of life.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease with variable severity, and a predisposition for lung infection. Usually severity is determined by the class of CF mutations, but even among patients with the same severity of mutations there is a variation of the severity of CF. Haptoglobin has several types (phenotypes), one of them was found to be related to infectious complications. In this study the investigators aim to find a correlation between Haptoglobin phenotypes in patients with CF and frequency of infectious complications. To this end the investigators will collect serum from CF patients, and determine their Haptoglobin protein phenotype. The investigators will correlate Haptoglobin phenotype to retrospectively gathered data on infectious complications.

When someone has hepatitis C or some other condition that causes liver injury, he or she can develop a condition called liver fibrosis that over time, can cause the liver to stop working normally. Currently, the best way to determine the degree of fibrosis is to do a liver biopsy. The investigators hope to show that measuring the degree of liver fibrosis using an MRI with gadoxetate disodium is as good as or better than obtaining this information by performing a liver biopsy. Gadoxetate disodium is a contrast solution given through the veins that is considered safe, is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, and is already routinely given to patients with various forms of liver disease, including fibrosis.

To enhance understanding of supplemental oxygen-its utility in and adoption by patients with pulmonary fibrosis-by examining how patients perceive it and by determining how perceptions and patient-centered outcome measures change from before to after supplemental oxygen is prescribed.