Active clinical trials for "Hypersensitivity"

Many patients in the hospital who are malnourished or not eating received intravenous feeding or total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Despite improving nutrition, TPN may increase the risk of infections and hospital complications. We do not know why TPN increases hospital complications, but it may be caused by the high sugar or fat content in TPN solutions. The investigators believe that the high sugar and high fat content can limit the ability to fight infections and produce stiffness of blood vessels. This study will compare the effect of high sugar, high fat content or both on blood sugars, blood vessel function, on blood vessel function. The investigators will also compare the effect of different fats (olive oil and soybean) in the TPN solution on the risk of infection and blood vessel function on a total of 12 healthy subjects.

When a drug company first develops a drug, the company has to show the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the drug is safe and effective. If FDA concludes that the drug is safe and effective, FDA approves the drug. The company can then sell the drug, which the company does using "trade name." Only the drug company that developed the "trade name" drug is allowed to sell it. However, other drug companies can create their own version of the "trade name" drug, which usually happens after the patents for the "trade name" product run out. These drugs, often called "generic drugs," potentially will be less expensive for the patient. In order to sell generic drugs, drug companies must show that their generic version is the same as the "trade name" drug in a number of ways. For example, they generally have to show that their product is intended to be used to treat the same diseases or conditions, that it has the same label, and that the product has the same active ingredient as the "trade name" drug. The generic company also has to show that generic product is "bioequivalent" to the trade name drug, meaning that the generic product gets to the part of the body where the drug works at the same rate that the trade name drug does. How to show how much drug gets to the part of the body where it works, and how fast, depends on the type of product the drug is. The primary aim of this research study is to aid the FDA in finding methods to ensure that the versions of generic drugs that are inhaled (for example, drugs used to treat asthma) are bioequivalent to the trade name drug. As a part of the research study, pharmacokinetic (PK) studies (studies measuring drug levels in the blood over time after inhalation) will be done using three different versions of fluticasone propionate (FP, a drug routinely used in asthmatic patients) administered using a dry powder inhaler (DPI, an inhalation device that delivers the drug as a dry powder). The results from this study will help FDA ensure that generic products are the same as the trade name drugs.

This is a one week study designed to test the safety of a personal lubricant during in-home use for subjects who perceive themselves as having sensitive skin.

Recently EPO receptors have been found in human muscle tissue, but what is still not known is the physiological role of these receptors. In this study the researchers want to investigate if there is any effect of a acute administration of EPO on insulin resistance and/or substrate metabolism in muscle tissue.

The aim of the present study is to determine the effectiveness of hemovigilance module training given to nurses.

This multicentre, non-comparative design study will monitor the impact of long term management of DH with daily use of a sensitivity toothpaste on the quality of life of a population of sensitivity sufferers. Changes in oral health related quality of life will be monitored using the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire (DHEQ). The study will be conducted in participants in good general health, with pre-existing self-reported and clinically diagnosed tooth sensitivity at screening.

Allergen extracts are complex mixtures of proteins and contain varying amounts of allergenic and non-allergenic components. Many factors such as the variability, differences in extraction process and subsequent handling of allergens can affect the final composition, potency, and stability of allergen preparations. Genetic diversity of affected people adds another level of complexity. In order to control variability and to achieve consistency and reproducibility for optimal safety and sensitivity/specificity, it is essential to standardize the amount of allergen used in prick tests. Therefore, the system for biological standardization mainly used in Europe still is the biological calibration of in-House Reference Preparations (IHRP). The method has been adopted by the Nordic Council on Medicines as the Nordic Biological Unit, Histamine Equivalent Potency (HEP) or Skin Prick Test (SPT) value. The aim of this procedure is to estimate the biological activity of allergen extracts. The activity of an allergen extract is defined as 1 SPT per ml, when the extract provokes a specific skin reaction with a wheal of the same size as a wheal provoked by reference histamine at a concentration of 10 mg/ml, when both solutions are administrated using the same technique (prick testing) on at least 20 individuals who are sensitized to the allergen concerned. The present study aims to standardize the allergen extracts of Artemisia vulgaris, Platanus acerifolia, Dermatophagoides farinae by using this method.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a syndrome with variable clinical presentation in which lung inflammation is caused by inhalation of specific organic antigens or low molecular weight particles in previously sensitized individuals. Systemic symptoms may or may not be present. Chronic HP represents the final stage of the disease, caused by prolonged exposure to a particular antigen, leading to pulmonary fibrosis. In chronic HP, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) commonly present a restrictive ventilatory pattern, with decreased diffusion of carbon monoxide (DLCO). Some patients can also have obstructive disorders with expiratory flow limitation, due to obstruction of the small airways typically caused by bronchiolar involvement in this pathology. However, PFTs are relatively insensitive for detecting small airway involvement when there is concomitant interstitial fibrosis. First, conventional PFTs may be normal in patients with small airway involvement, since they contribute to less than 30% of the total airway resistance. In addition, damage to the small airways in HP is generally occurring parallel to areas of focal fibrosis - even when small airways are involved, these regions can be completely ignored, since they are excluded from ventilation. In summary, traditional PFTs are not sufficiently sensitive to detect diffuse small airway involvement in these diseases. In these cases, other functional tests, such as forced oscillation technique (FOT) and high resolution computer tomography (HRCT) scans of the chest with expired studies, could be used for this purpose. This will be a cross-sectional study, which will include the following evaluations in 28 patients with HP recruited from our clinic: - Clinical variables: (A) demographic and anthropometric data; (B) Clinical data: Onset of symptoms and time of diagnosis C) Dyspnea score: D) Smoking: * Current or former smoker * Smoking history (number of cigarettes smoked per day and for how long); Spirometry with forced and slow maneuvers before and after bronchodilator (salbutamol); Plethysmography to measure lung volumes; Diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO); High-resolution chest CT with expiratory scans; Six-minute walk test; Cardio-respiratory test using a maximal incremental treadmill. Forced oscillation technique (FOT).

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of gemcabene on insulin sensitivity as defined by average glucose disposal rate.

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, participants with seasonal allergies will receive a daily probiotic or placebo for 8 weeks. Questionnaires will assess health-related quality of life, stress, physical activity, gastrointestinal symptoms, adverse events, and compliance. In a subset of subjects, stool and blood samples will be collected at baseline and at week 6 of the intervention (estimated to be peak allergy season) to characterize microbial communities and immune function.