Active clinical trials for "Myositis"

Objective: To collect information and biospecimens (such as blood, muscle, and skin samples) that will be used to research causes and treatments of inflammatory muscle diseases. Eligibility: People aged 12 years and older with suspected or confirmed inflammatory muscle disease. Healthy volunteers aged 18 years and older are also needed. Design: Participants will have at least 1 clinic visit. Each visit will last 4 to 8 hours. Some may return for additional visits. All participants will undergo these procedures (unless they are unable to): Physical exam, including blood and urine tests. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the thigh. Participants will lie still on a table with padding around 1 thigh. The table will slide into a tube. The scan will last for approximately 40 minutes. Some procedures are optional: Muscle biopsy. An area of skin will be numbed. A quarter-inch cut will be made. Several pieces of muscle tissue, about the size of grains of rice, will be removed. Skin biopsy. An area of skin will be numbed. A piece of skin about a quarter inch in diameter will be removed. Genetic testing. Some of the samples collected may be used for genetic testing.

This study will evaluate subjects with adult- and childhood-onset myositis to learn more about their cause and the immune system changes and medical problems associated with them. Myositis is an inflammatory muscle disease that can damage muscles and other organs, resulting in significant disability. Children or adults with polymyositis or dermatomyositis or a related condition may be evaluated under this study. Healthy children or adults will also be enrolled as "controls," for comparison of test results. All patients will undergo a complete history (including completing some questionnaires) and physical examination, review of medical records, and blood and urine tests. Patients may then choose to participate in an additional 1- to 5-day evaluation, which will include some or all of the following diagnostic, treatment or research procedures: Standardized muscle strength testing, range of motion of joints and walking (gait) analysis by a physiotherapist; completion of a questionnaire regarding ability to perform daily tasks Skin assessment, possibly including photographs of lesions and a skin biopsy (removal of a small skin sample under local anesthetic) Magnetic resonance imaging (scans that use magnetic fields to visualize tissues) of leg muscles Swallowing studies, including a physical examination and questionnaire on swallowing ability, studies of tongue strength, and ultrasound imaging during swallowing, and possibly, a modified barium swallow Voice and speech assessment, possibly including computerized voice analysis and laryngoscopy-analysis of the larynx (voice box) using a small rigid scope with a camera placed in the mouth to view and record vocal cord function Pulmonary function tests (measurement of air moved into and out of the lungs, using a breathing machine) to evaluate lung function and, possibly, chest X-ray Electrocardiogram (measurement of the electrical activity of the heart) and, possibly, echocardiogram (ultrasound imaging of the heart) Endocrine evaluation Eye examination, in patients with vision loss or other eye symptoms Nutrition assessment to evaluate muscle mass and muscle wasting, including tape measurements or bioelectric impedance testing, a painless procedure in which wires are attached to the extremities with a sticky paste. Muscle ultrasound. Electromyography (record of the electrical activity of muscles) Muscle or skin biopsy (removal of a small piece of muscle tissue for microscopic examination) All patients may have only a one-time evaluation or may return for one follow-up evaluations (either the 1-day or 3- to 5-day evaluation) over a 1-year period. Healthy children will undergo a medical history and brief physical examination; blood and urine tests; speech and swallowing studies including questionnaires and physical examination, tongue strength, and ultrasound study; and bioelectric impedance testing. Children 8 to 18 years old may also have exercise testing.

The aim of this project is to start a biological and clinical collection of patients presenting systemic autoimmune disease. This collection will provide appropriate biological samples to identify new biomarkers and to be accessible to the medical, scientific and industrial communities for the identification of new therapeutic strategies

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Background: Like other complex diseases, autoimmune diseases are the result of numerous causes, including genetic and environmental factors. Some researchers believe that people who are susceptible to autoimmune disorders develop them when the body reacts to environmental or other factors by creating white blood cells that attack the body s own tissues, which then progresses to autoimmune diseases. These immune-triggered disorders can overlap with one another to some extent, but most autoimmune diseases have certain distinct triggers. The autoimmune disorder myositis weakens the muscles and may cause other health problems. Environmental exposures associated with myositis include ultraviolet radiation, stressful life events and muscle overexertion, collagen implants, infections such as retroviruses and streptococci bacteria, and certain drugs and chemicals. Some individuals with myositis also produce proteins in the blood called autoantibodies that react with certain parts of the person s own cells, called synthetases, which are involved in making new proteins. A syndrome called the anti-synthetase syndrome, which includes myositis and lung disease, is associated with having the anti-synthetase autoantibodies. Researchers are interested in studying differences in environmental exposures in individuals with myositis. This study is being conducted to determine if persons with the anti-synthetase syndrome have had different environmental exposures before disease onset compared with other patients with myositis who do not have this syndrome and also compared with healthy volunteers. Objectives: - To determine whether selected infectious and noninfectious environmental exposures are more common in individuals who have myositis with the anti-synthetase syndrome, compared with healthy volunteers. Eligibility: - Individuals who have been diagnosed with myositis (with or without anti-synthetase autoantibodies), and healthy volunteers without autoimmune disorders. Design: Participants will be screened with a full medical history and physical examination, and will provide blood, urine and house dust samples. Participants will complete questionnaires about their medical history and the types of exposures they have had at work, at home, and elsewhere. Participants who have myositis will also be asked about certain infections, heavy exercise or physical exertion, sun exposure, tobacco and alcohol use, and stressful events prior to being diagnosed with the disease. Healthy volunteers will be asked about the same exposures before the date of diagnosis of disease of the myositis subject to which they have been matched. Participants will receive a kit that contains instructions and a filter to be put onto their vacuum cleaner to collect house dust in the bedroom. This dust will be kept for possible future analyses of infectious or toxic agents based on the other results from the study. Individuals with myositis will have other tests as clinically indicated, including lung function tests and imaging studies....

This study will assess the effect of a mindfulness meditation program administered via a smartphone application on health-related quality of life for patients with rheumatic disease.

A multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label, uncontrolled clinical extension trial designed to compare the efficacy and safety of early versus delayed start of arimoclomol in the treatment of Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM)

Adult patients with suspected or confirmed idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) will be recruited. Patients will be approached, consented, have baseline demographics, diagnostics and disease activity measures recorded, and blood taken. The collection of data and biological material will mirror usual clinical practice as far as possible. Subjects will ideally attend further visits at 3, 6 and 12 months to have bloods taken, outcome measures recorded and questionnaires completed. In addition, blood, muscle biopsies and imaging undertaken as part of usual care will also be collected for research purposes to measure a number of biomarkers for the assessment of diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility evaluation. As per usual practice, a muscle biopsy will be performed at baseline, and a further biopsy offered at 6 months to assess treatment response. A magnetic resonance (MR) muscle protocol will also be performed as per usual clinical practice, and a gadolinium-enhanced MR heart scan offered. Both these scans will be repeated at 6 months. An existing electronic database entry system will be used for data entry and capture on an anonymised basis. The study will thus be based around diagnostic evaluations and outcome measures to improve quality of care in IIM.

Polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM)belong to a group of inflammatory muscle disorders, of unknown cause, that are characterised by skeletal muscle inflammation and progressive muscular weakness, which can be debilitating and chronic in nature (occasionally fatal). The current treatment options for these conditions are steroids and various other immunosuppressive drugs. However, these are usually only partially effective at reducing symptoms, and their toxic side effects also limit their usefulness. In order to develop more specific treatments for myositis in the future (and therefore more effective), it is important to understand the exact mechanisms that cause the disease in the first instance. In other similar inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus (SLE), it is known that changes to the Human Leukocyte Antigen(HLA), as well as certain inflammatory cytokines, are involved in both the development and expression of the disease. As many of the inflammatory mechanisms that cause damage in PM, DM and IBM are similar to those in RA and SLE, it seems likely that similar genetic factors will also be involved in the development and expression of PM, DM and IBM. In order to understand the genetic aspects / causes of myositis, and ultimately develop more effective treatment therapies in the future, patients with PM, DM or IBM, will be asked to give 20 mls of blood. These blood samples, along with the patient's clinical details, will then be sent to the Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research (CIGMR), at The University of Manchester, where all of the genetic analyses will take place. By understanding the genetic cause of the disease, it should be possible to design specific drugs for treating the condition in the future.

Background: Myositis is a rare disease in which the body s immune cells attack the muscle tissue. It can cause muscle weakness, swelling, and pain. It can develop in people with no history of muscle problems. Environmental exposures may determine who develops myositis. Genes may also affect development of the disease. Some people who serve in the military develop myositis. However, other military personnel do not. Researchers want to compare military personnel with and without myositis. They will look for common factors that might have led to the disease. Objectives: - To study environmental risk factors for myositis in military personnel. Eligibility: Military personnel who developed myositis during their period of service. Healthy military personnel who do not have myositis or another autoimmune disease. Design: Participants will have a physical exam and medical history. Participants will fill out forms about environmental exposures, particularly while in the military. The questions will ask about past infections, vaccines and medications, and personal habits. They will also ask about participants occupations during military service and their deployments. Participants will also provide blood samples for study. No treatment will be provided as part of this study.