Active clinical trials for "Infections"

Infections pose a serious threat to cancer patients in chemotherapy. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is of paramount importance as infections may be life-threatening in immune-compromised individuals. Traditionally, the C-reactive protein (CRP) has been used as a marker of infection. However, the CRP is also often elevated in cancer patients and as a marker CRP may be unreliable in cancer patients. Other markers for infection includes procalcitonin which has been showed to be of some value for the diagnose of bacterial infections. This study examines procalcitonin as a potential marker of bacterial infection in cancer patients.

Objective- The purpose of this study is to evaluate a connection between PH,PCO2,HCO3,PO2,Na,K,Glu and Lactate patterns in vacuum drains of different plastic operational wounds and its relation to infections and seroma formation.

Atni-HBs to HBsAg and Anit-HBc was interpreted based on three hepatitis markers for clinical detection of HBV-infections. HBAg and Anti-HBs were negative and the Anit-HBc-positive referred to as Anti-HBc alone. When the Anti-HBc alone occurs, patients may be due to mutations in HBV HBsAg can not be detected due to (1), but if by the molecular diagnostics by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology can detect HBV DNA present. When Anti-HBc alone in patients with serum HBV DNA can be measured, then there may be occult HBV infection. In different countries, Occult HBV infection in the Anti-HBc Alone group had significant differences in the prevalence (2.9 ~ 22.8%) (2), but prevalence survey in Taiwan there are very few studies on this , It is hoped to be able to investigation the prevalence of occult HBV infection Among Anti-HBc Alone.

The purpose of this study is to find a correlation between function of cytomegalovirus -specific T cells and the probability for intrauterine transmission.

It is traditionally considered that someone with a positive tuberculin skin test (TST) (and/or positive result in Cell Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (TIGRA), depending on the different countries' guidelines) is infected but not ill when the absence of lesions is demonstrated in a thorax X-Ray assay. Even though, the experiences described in literature using cows and pigs as animal models for the study of LTBI demonstrate the presence of this kind of lesion in the animals, even too small to be detected by X-Ray assay, which would suggest they also could happen in human LTBI. Nowadays, the High Resolution Scanners (HR TC) offer the possibility of detecting any lesion approximately 1 mm in diameter, so the investigators plan to use this technique to screen people already infected by M. tuberculosis (but not ill, following the Diagnosis Standard Guidelines). Additional pathological analysis of resected and post-mortem tissues will provide lesion-based profiles of humans infected with tuberculosis.

It is traditionally considered that the development of Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) is due to the M. tuberculosis ability to develop a dormancy state within well-structured lesions (granulomas), which can remain in the lung of the host even for life. A new original hypothesis has been developed in the Experimental Tuberculosis Unit based on scientific evidence that take into account the idea that a lesion cannot be held forever, because the host tends to remove any lesion in order to rebuild the original parenchyma, in a healing process. Even if M. tuberculosis can remain in a dormant/non-replicating state for a long period, this is an important but not sufficient factor to explain the LTBI. The Dynamic Hypothesis tries to explain the existence of LTBI in spite of the healing process that could remove it by a constant reinfection of the host's tissue. While the "Static" view defends the induction of active TB after the reactivation of the bacilli from and old lesion; while the "Dynamic" view wants to demonstrate that there is a constant induction of new granulomas. In case one of these new lesions takes place in the upper lobe privileged zone, the possibility to induce a cavity would appear, developing an active Tuberculosis (TB).

A prospective epidemiological study conducted in pediatric hematology oncology center in Hadassah medical center. The study will include all newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients age 0-18 years admitted with fever during chemotherapy. In each event of febrile episode during chemotherapy, the following data will be collected using a patient data form and computerized software. Demographic data: age, gender, ethnicity. Clinical data: Underlying disease, immunizations, prophylactic antibiotics, presence of central venous catheter, intensity of chemotherapy, duration of fever, duration and severity of neutropenia, diagnosis of present event. Imaging data Microbiological data Outcome The statistical analysis will be performed by an epidemiologist and statistician using the SPSS 12.0 software.

This pilot study will assess the feasibility of using heavy water as a safe 'tracer' for biomarker studies of diseases of the brain and spinal cord, that, together, are also called the central nervous system (CNS). Heavy water, also called deuterated water or D20, is the same as normal drinking water except the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by deuterium, a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen. In particular, this study will use heavy water to define: 1) The rate of immune cell proliferation (growth) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compared to blood. This study will be examining a particular type of immune cell called T lymphocytes. 2) This study will also examine selected molecules generated by nerve cells of the CNS to understand their rate of secretion and turnover in healthy control participants, HIV-1-infected participants and participants with a non-HIV-related neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's disease (PD). This study will involve the administration of heavy water orally for either seven days, 12 days or six weeks. Measurements will be taken by lumbar puncture (LP, also known as a spinal tap). Blood (approximately five tablespoons per visit) will also be obtained at each of the lumbar puncture appointments. If this method can be used to establish the rates of immune cell turnover and the production rates of neuronal molecules using cerebrospinal fluid, it will provide unique data that is important to understand chronic neurodegenerative conditions, like PD, and to measure responses to targeted therapies. Hypothesis: D2O, administered orally, can be used to measure the proliferation rates of CSF T cells (and, eventually, of their major phenotypic subsets). D2O can be used to assess the turnover and production rates of CNS constituents that are normally or pathologically shed or secreted into the CSF, including (eventually): cargo molecules transported specifically in neurons in the CNS, such as chromogranin-A and -B, neuregulin-1 (specifically the extracellular secreted ectodomain of neuronal differentiation factor (NDF) isoform type α1, α2, β1, and the acetylcholine receptor inducing activity isoform (ARIA), secreted amyloid precursor protein (sAPP), alpha-synuclein; and APP metabolites amyloid beta (Aβ) 41 and 42.

Data from this study will provide the first information how the innate immune system may be altered in HIV-HCV and HIV-HBV co-infected individuals, and describe Toll-like receptor changes with HIV co-infection therapy.

To evaluate the changes in the microcirculation of the liver, kidney and spleen during acute infection in patients with malaria (cohorts 1 and 3) and other infectious diseases such as acute pyelonephritis at day 0 (within 8 hours of the treatment start), day 2 to 4 and day 28-32, using functional US with continuous infusion of a contrast agent (SonoVue, Bracco, Italy). Study hypothesis: malaria patients should exhibit a different pattern of enhancement, particularly when quantitative measurements of the SU signals is performed with destruction reperfusion kinetics.