Active clinical trials for "Communicable Diseases"

This is a phase I/II study to determine the safety and tolerance of the protease inhibitor indinavir (MK-0639), alone and then in combination with HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy in children with HIV infection. Indinavir sulfate (the capsule formulation) has been shown to have potent antiviral activity and an acceptable safety profile in adults. HIV-infected children who have not received prior antiretroviral therapy, and children who have become refractory to prior therapy, or who have experienced toxicity to prior therapy, will be included. In addition, we will explore viral and CD4 cell kinetics before starting therapy and following exposure to antiretroviral agents. The study will be conducted in three parts. In order to help interpret the antiviral activity of indinavir, the virologic and immunologic profile of children will be studied within 2 weeks prior to starting the therapeutic part. For children who have never been treated, this will be before the initiation of any antiretroviral therapy and for children who have already received antiretroviral therapy, this will be done during the initial "wash-out" phase that is routinely interposed between two different treatment regimens. The initial 16 weeks of therapy will then evaluate the toxicities, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of single drug therapy with indinavir. Subsequently, all children who are able to tolerate the combination of zidovudine and lamivudine (i.e., have no prior history of intolerance to one of these two agents) will be treated with these two reverse transcriptase inhibitors in addition to the protease inhibitor indinavir. Zidovudine and lamivudine will be added after 16 weeks at a fixed dosage. Toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of indinavir will also be investigated after combination therapy. All patients who wish to remain in this study after 96 weeks of therapy and who do not meet off study criteria will be permitted to receive extended treatment with their current indinavir combination therapy for an additional 48 weeks. The study will determine the pharmacokinetic profile of indinavir, given as single drug or in combination with zidovudine and lamivudine. It will assess the preliminary antiviral and clinical activity by monitoring clinical status, viral burden in plasma, and markers of immunologic status. Based on safety and preliminary efficacy results from studies performed in adults, we will study three dose levels which are expected to result in drug levels above the IC95 of HIV-1 for all or most of the dosing interval.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the benefits and safety of the antiviral drug ganciclovir (DHPG) given intravenously to treat newborn infants who are born infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV is a herpes virus that can infect most organs of the body, resulting in death in 10-30% of babies with symptoms of CMV. It can cause severe brain damage in a large percentage of surviving babies. Children in this study have a CMV infection of the central nervous system (CNS).

To evaluate and compare 3 anti-pneumocystis regimens plus zidovudine (AZT) in persons with HIV infection and T4 cell count less than 200 cells/mm3. All persons completing at least 8 weeks of therapy on 081 will be offered the opportunity to participate in the nested study (ACTG 981) of systemic antifungal therapy (fluconazole) versus local therapy (Clotrimazole) for the prevention of serious fungal disease. Persons with HIV disease who are receiving AZT are at risk for PCP, toxoplasmosis, bacterial pneumonia, and other serious infections. It is therefore important to find drugs that can be given along with AZT to control these infections. Aerosolized pentamidine (PEN) has been shown to be useful in preventing PCP and is expected to lower the 2-year risk of PCP. Both sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) and dapsone probably also provide effective preventive treatment against PCP, and both may be useful in preventing toxoplasmosis and extrapulmonary pneumocystosis.

To determine the safety and tolerance of methotrexate in HIV-infected patients. To determine the dose effective in modulating key markers of immune activation. To determine a dose suitable for Phase II or III evaluation in HIV-infected patients. In HIV infection, complete immunological clearance of the foreign antigen does not occur, resulting in chronic immune activation. Because chronic immune activation may contribute to disease progression in HIV infection, immunomodulators may have therapeutic value in early HIV disease prior to development of opportunistic infections. The clinical benefits of methotrexate appear to derive from an anti-inflammatory effect; thus, it may reduce the state of chronic immune activation.

The purpose of this study is to see if there are any changes in sugar and fat levels in the blood when patients take anti-HIV therapy for many years. Another goal is to test memory and mental concentrations to determine if anti-HIV drugs protect the brain from damage caused by HIV. (The purpose of this study has been changed from the original version.) HIV-infected patients with low CD4 cell counts are at risk for getting opportunistic (AIDS-related) infections. CD4 cells are cells of the immune system that help fight infection. Anti-HIV therapy may increase CD4 counts, which may lead to a decrease in AIDS-related infections. Problems that anti-HIV therapy is associated with include metabolic problems, neurologic problems, abnormal opportunistic infections, and cancer. Patients in ACTG 362 have been exposed to anti-HIV therapy longer than any other large group in the ACTG. These patients appear to benefit from their therapy, but also suffer problems from it. Observation of these patients should provide more information about long-term anti-HIV treatment and may detect unexpected problems. (This study as been changed. More information about the reasons for conducting this study has been added.)

This study compares 2 different treatments administered to try to prevent serious bacterial infections (such as pneumonia) in HIV-positive children. A combination of drugs (azithromycin plus atovaquone) will be compared to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) alone. This study also evaluates the long-term safety and tolerance of these different drugs. SMX/TMP is a commonly prescribed drug for the prevention of bacterial infections. However, the combination of azithromycin and atovaquone may be safer and more effective than SMX/TMP. This study compares the 2 treatments.

To restore immunologic function and virus-free state in HIV-infected patients. Based on previous studies showing temporary improvement in immune function in HIV-infected patients using peripheral lymphocyte transfers and bone marrow transplantation, and based on studies documenting the antiretroviral effects of zidovudine (AZT) and interferon-alfa (IFN-A) as well as the preliminary test tube and patient studies suggesting anti-HIV effects of recombinant CD4-IgG, we propose to treat HIV-infected patients using combination antiretroviral therapy with transplantation of bone marrow and peripheral lymphocytes from previously immunized donors in an attempt to restore immunologic function and a virus-free state.

To assess the safety and tolerance of the combination of zidovudine (AZT) and didanosine (ddI) in children with HIV infection. New approaches to using available agents may provide increased or improved treatment options for AIDS. Combination therapy is expected to play a major role in improving survival and quality of life for HIV-infected individuals. AZT and ddI are two agents that have been most extensively evaluated and for which the evidence for antiretroviral effectiveness is strongest.

Surgical site complications generate a series of consequences that prolong hospital stay, increase interventions and procedures, and consequently considerably increase healthcare costs. Hence, the importance of studying measures to reduce these complications and the most feared of them is surgical site infection. The objective of the study is to analyze the complications of the surgical site in a group of participante with risk factors for developing them after undergone abdominal surgery in the period described.

The proposed study is a prospective, open-label, randomized, multi-center trial of ceftaroline versus vancomycin for the treatment of ABSSSI in patients documented or at risk for MRSA. Patients admitted to the Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford Hospital, or St. John Medical Center in Detroit Michigan with a documented ABSSSI between April 2012 and November 2015 will be evaluated for inclusion. Patients must present with at least 3 of the following local signs/symptoms: pain, tenderness, swelling erythema, warmth, drainage/discharge, induration, and lymph node swelling/tenderness. Patients will be randomized 1:1 ceftaroline or vancomycin with optional anaerobic and/or Gram-negative coverage. The assignment of study drug will follow a randomized list that was previously generated via a computerized random mix block generator (nQuery Advisor® 7.0) and available at each of the study sites. Patients will be randomized to ceftaroline intravenously at 600 mg infused over 1 hour every 12 hours for patients with normal renal function. Patients randomized to vancomycin will receive the standard 15 mg/kg dose based on total body weight infused over 1 hour q 12 hour, dose and interval adjusted based on creatinine clearance and via institution-specific pharmacy protocol to target serum trough concentrations of 10-20 mg/L within the first 72 hours. Outcomes measured in the Clinically Evaluable patient population include day two or three size reduction (percentage) and clinical response at end of therapy or discharge.