Active clinical trials for "Immune System Diseases"

Tolerogenic dendritic cell (tDC)-based clinical trials for the treatment of autoimmune diseases are now a reality. Clinical trials are currently exploring the effectiveness of tDC to treat of type 1 diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a single intra-articular injection (into the knee joint) of autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells generated in the presence of interferon-alpha (IFN-α)/granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tolerized with Dexamethasone in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

The objective of DIAGNODE-2 is to evaluate the efficacy of Diamyd compared to Placebo, upon administration directly into a lymph node in combination with an oral vitamin D/Placebo regimen, in terms of preserving endogenous insulin secretion as measured by C-peptide.

There is considerable morbidity and mortality associated with cardiac surgery. Currently little effort is made to quantify how well the immune system of an individual can cope with inflammation or infection to which they are exposed during surgery. The investigators have previously demonstrated that having higher pre-operative antibody levels is associated with a lower risk of infection and a shorter stay in hospital after cardiac surgery. The investigators aim to study 150 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement and explore their dynamic immune responsiveness. The investigators will determine if this response is correlated with the post-operative outcome (development of post-operative infection or increased length of hospital stay). The investigators will compare this response with the previously measured static markers of immune competence and also with a novel device that may give a more rapid measure of dynamic immunity. The investigators will approach patients in the cardiac surgical pre-assessment clinic to see if they are willing to participate in the study. Immediately once under anaesthetic blood will be taken for testing and then again at the end of surgery, 24h after surgery, at discharge from hospital, and at follow-up clinic approximately 4 weeks later. There will be no additional needle insertions on top of those routinely performed. The investigators will collect data from the routine observations as far as 1 year after surgery. If the investigators can show an association between immune function and subsequent post-operative outcome it may be possible to determine ways to improve outcomes for patients undergoing heart surgery. This might include better information on risks and benefits of surgery, actively boosting immune function (vaccination, immune-nutrition), passively improving immunity (administering antibodies), or consider current alternatives to open heart surgery where the threat of infection or inflammation may be markedly reduced (eg trans-catheter aortic valve implantation)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biochemical and clinical effects of electro-acupuncture in patients with sepsis.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (50 mg/d), administered for 12 wk, for patients with active moderate-severe Graves' Orbitopathy (GO).

Background: - Behcet's disease (BD) is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the body. People with BD may develop oral or genital ulcers, skin problems, and eye disease. Most drugs used to treat BD suppress the immune system, but they are not always helpful and may have side effects. A new drug, anakinra, may be able to treat BD with fewer side effects. Because it has not been studied in people with BD, anakinra is considered an experimental treatment. Objectives: - To test whether anakinra can be a safe and effective treatment for Behcet s disease. Eligibility: - People who have Behcet's disease with ongoing oral or genital ulcers for at least one month, or three or more flares of eye disease in the past 6 months. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will also have blood and urine tests. They will be divided into two groups: those with oral or genital ulcers and those with eye disease. All participants will keep a diary of symptoms for a month before starting the study drug. Participants with oral or genital ulcers will receive daily injections of anakinra for 3 to 6 months. Treatment will be monitored with frequent blood draws and daily diaries. Those who improve but do not have a full response to the drug may receive a higher dose. Those who improve after 6 months may have an extra 6 months on either anakinra or placebo to study the differences in response. Participants with eye disease will receive anakinra for up to 12 months. Treatment will be monitored with frequent blood draws, daily diaries, and regular eye exams. All participants will have a final study visit 1 month after stopping the study drug.

To determine if a reduction in morbidity and mortality from acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD) can be achieved through use of T-cell depletion techniques without a counterbalancing increase in relapse of leukemia in patients receiving an unrelated donor marrow transplant.

The investigators aim to evaluate the roles of Th17/Treg cells and IL-23/IL-17 axis in the mechanisms of early enteral nutrition (EEN) correcting immune imbalance of sepsis by means of improving the intestinal flora disturbance. The results of this study would lay the foundation for revealing the mechanisms of EEN improving immune imbalance of sepsis and provide a new idea to the early treatment of sepsis

Both antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prevention of opportunistic infections (OIs) have been associated with significantly decreased mortality in HIV-infected individuals. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ), also known as bactrim, is a common antibiotic and used as prophylaxis for OIs. For countries with high prevalence of HIV and limited health infrastructure, the WHO endorses universal TMP/SMZ for all HIV-infected individuals. Notably, these guidelines were created prior to the scale-up of ARTs. Following ART and subsequent immune recovery, TMP/SMZ may no longer be required. In the US and Europe, for example, TMP/SMZ is discontinued after patients show evidence of immune recovery. Therefore, we propose a prospective randomized trial among HIV infected individuals on ART with evidence of immune recovery (ART for > 18mo and CD4 >350 cells/mm3) to determine whether continued TMP/SMZ prophylaxis confers benefits in decreasing morbidity (malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea), mortality, CD4 count maintenance, ART treatment failure and malaria immune responses.

The study is a Phase III, randomized double blind, placebo controlled, and trial evaluating the addition of Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) vs. placebo to systemic corticosteroids as initial therapy for acute Graft Vs Host Disease (GVHD). The primary endpoint will be GVHD free survival at Day 56 post randomization.