Active clinical trials for "Communicable Diseases"

Helicobacter pylori colonises an estimated 50% of the world´s population (Taylor & Blaser, 1991; Go, 2002). Despite clear clinical guidelines on the treatment of this infection (Malfertheiner et al. 2007) there is a drive to find alternative ways to control this infection in a wider perspective without the complications of induction of antibiotic resistance in the pathogen. L. reuteri has been widely studied in clinical trials and has been shown to have probiotic, health-promoting effects in both adults and children (Connolly 2004; Casas & Dobrogosz, 2000). L. reuteri has been shown in numerous studies to be safe for human consumption and it has been shown to colonise the human gastrointestinal tract (Wolf et al., 1995, Valeur et al., 2004). Studies using supplementation with L. reuteri in both symptomatic and non-symptomatic H. pylori-infected subjects show a clear reduction of infection load after 4 weeks of use and this was concomitant with a reduction in symptoms associated with the infection (Imase et al. 2007; Francavilla et al. 2007, unpublished data). Further, dietary supplementation with L. reuteri during and after the period of H. pylori eradication therapy has also been shown to reduce the side effects of this therapy without affecting the degree of eradication (Lionetti et al., 2007). It is also feasible, through the inhibitory action of L. reuteri on H. pylori, that pre-exposure to L. reuteri may weaken H. pylori and make it more susceptible to antibiotic attack during eradication. However, an earlier pilot study was not been able to demonstrate a reduction in gastric inflammation caused by H. pylori. This pilot study was performed with L. reuteri ATCC 55730 that has since been found to lack anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro screens. Recent selection of natural, human L. reuteri strains has identified a specific strain with strong anti-inflammatory properties in vitro (Lin et al, 2007 and submitted 2007). A combination of this strain, together with the earlier proven L. reuteri strain, is expected to lead to both a reduction of H. pylori load as well as a reduction in the gastric inflammation related to the pathogen.

Approximately one-third of neonatal deaths in developing countries are due to infections acquired through the birth canal and/or exposure to an unclean environment soon after birth. Current World Health Organization recommendations for the management of infants younger than 2 months of age who have serious bacterial infections involve hospitalization and parenteral therapy for at least 10 days with antibiotic regimens containing penicillin or ampicillin combined with an aminoglycoside.However, in many settings throughout the developing world, this is not currently possible, nor is this standard of care likely to be feasible in the near future. Several studies have reported that for a variety of sociocultural reasons many families are unable or unwilling to access hospital-based care and their sick young infants do not get hospitalized, and instead, receive a variety of home-based antibiotic therapies, or none at all. In our community field sites, approximately 70% of families refuse hospital referral for a sick newborn, despite provision of transport. Thus, there is an urgent need to define the role of community/first-level facility-based care versus hospitalization for the management of young infants with serious bacterial infections, and the potential for community-based parenteral antibiotics as an alternative strategy in resource poor areas with high neonatal mortality rates. Bang and colleagues have demonstrated significant reductions in neonatal mortality from infections in an underdeveloped rural district in Maharashtra, India by a field-based case management approach which used oral cotrimoxazole and intramuscular gentamicin given for 7 days as treatment for neonates with sepsis. This study is an equivalence randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing once daily IM ceftriaxone injection to once daily IM procaine penicillin and gentamicin injection, to once daily intramuscular gentamicin injection and twice daily oral cotrimoxazole, given for 7 days in babies with clinically-diagnosed possible serious bacterial infection (pneumonia, or sepsis with or without local infections such as skin or umbilical infections) whose families refused referral to a hospital. After supplementary informed consent, patients meeting specific inclusion and exclusion criteria are randomly allocated to one of the three regimens being tested. The study hypothesis is that all 3 regimens will perform equally well in the treatment of sepsis in a first-level facility setting.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are mainly metabolized in the liver by CYP2C19, one of the cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, which shows a genetic polymorphism associated with enzyme activities. The most essential role of a PPI in H. pylori eradication therapy is to make antibiotics more stable and bioavailable in the stomach by raising intragastric pH to neutral levels. Most patients who have failed in the eradication of H. pylori infection by triple therapy with a PPI, amoxicillin (AMPC) and clarithromycin (CAM) at standard doses have extensive metabolizer (EM) genotypes of CYP2C19 and/or are infected with CAM-resistant strains of H. pylori. Four-times daily dosing of a PPI could achieve complete gastric acid inhibition. Dual therapy with 4-times daily dosing of a PPI and AMPC could yield sufficient re-eradication rates in patients with EM genotype of CYP2C19. Metronidazole (MNZ)-based re-eradication therapy, such as triple PPI/AMPC/MNZ therapy, also achieved high eradication rates and has been recommended as the second line therapy in Japan. But carcinogenic actions of MNZ have been unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare the re-eradication rates of H. pylori infection by the dual high-dose PPI/AMPC therapy and triple PPI/AMPC/MNZ therapy, and to validate the efficacies of these re-eradication regimens as second line eradication therapies.

This trial is to determine the safety of valacyclovir in persons with chronic hepatitis C and herpes simplex type 2 infection. Participants will be randomized to valacyclovir or matching placebo. After receiving the initial therapy for eight weeks, the participants will cross over to the alternate therapy for an additional eight weeks. Each treatment period will be separated by a two-week period of daily placebo. The hypothesis is that treatment with valacyclovir will result in a significant reduction in serum levels of hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid.

In case of lack of compliance in HIV1 patients, the investigators hope to prove that enfuvirtide injection during almost 3 months, with nurse help at home and therapeutic education may contribute to obtain a good compliance more than 95% in these patients.

The safety and tolerability of hLF 1-11 given in multiple doses has to be established first in HSCT recipients who are at risk of developing, but have not yet developed, infectious complications due to invasive fungal or bacterial disease. These patients are different from healthy volunteers because they have received myeloablative treatment, which not only arrests haematopoiesis resulting in neutropenia but also induces mucosal barrier injury both of which predispose to infections, which typically occur during the week after transplant. It is therefore essential to know that hLF 1-11 is safe and well tolerated when given during neutropenia and mucosal barrier injury before infections ensue.

This protocol offers diagnosis and standard medical treatment for various parasitic gastrointestinal infections. Gastrointestinal parasites are either worms (helminths) or one-celled animals called protozoans which live in the human intestines. Often, parasitic infections do not cause illness. In these cases, drug treatment is not indicated, because treatment can have adverse side effects. Patients will be examined for their immune responses, correlation between the number of parasites and disease, and other studies. Individuals with known or suspected parasitic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including amebiasis, giardiasis, hookworm, strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, pinworm, tapeworm, trichinosis, clonorchis, opisthorchis, coccidiosis, paragonimiasis, and echinococcus may be eligible for this study. Patient evaluations may include blood and urine tests, stool examination, X-rays, ultrasound studies and, uncommonly, duodenal aspiration for examination of fluid from the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). Other tests may be required, depending on the parasite and disease. Direct examination of the tissues of the intestines may be required to rule out certain infections. Research procedures include collection of stool, blood and duodenal fluid when the diagnosis has been established and these procedures are not required for medical care. Patients with strongyloidiasis may also be given a diagnostic skin test similar to skin tests for tuberculosis and allergies. Research procedures on children will be limited to collection of stool, urine and blood. No more than 7 milliliters (1 1/2 teaspoons) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) body weight of blood will be collected in children over a 6-week period. In adults no more than 30 tablespoons of blood will be collected in a 6-week period. Parasites may fail to respond to treatment. In these cases, it may be necessary to grow the parasite in the laboratory in order to test treatments in the test tube. Patients who do not respond to standard medications and dosing may need different doses of drugs or drugs or combinations of drugs used in the United States for other medical problems. If these medications or doses are used, patients will be informed of their possible side effects.

In adult HIV-positive patients, data on the safety and immunogenicity of the quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine have been reported with excellent results (13 14); also, the results of a clinical trial of qHPV vaccine conducted in seropositive patients older than 36 years (WLHIV and MSM) have been published. Even now, there is not a trial about immunogenicity and safety of a 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine in HIV-positive women; for this reason, the investigators plan to conduct this clinical trial. HYPOTHESYS: The administration of Nonavalent HPV vaccine (HPV-9) in adult women living with HIV will produce antibodies against nine genotypes of HPV, thus preventing the acquisition of new infections by those genotypes. Besides, this will prevent the cervical and anal dysplasia in these women.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections is a severe infection in patients of rheumatic disease treated with corticosteroid and immunosuppressive agents. Ganciclovir is the main therapy in CMV infection, accompanied with diverse side effects, including neutropenia, anemia, disorder of renal function and so on, which are also common symptoms of rheumatic diseases. Additionally, prolonged antiviral treatment may delay recovery of virus, specific immune responses, resulting in an increasing of late-onset CMV disease. IL-2 is a pleotropic cytokine which can promote the proliferation and function of CD8+ T cells and NK cells through the combination with IL-2 receptor. Recently, several studies have revealed that low dose IL-2 is an effective and safe therapy for autoimmune disease. In systemic lupus erythematous patients, additionally, patients treated with low-dose IL-2 had lower incidence of infection with increased percentages of natural killer (NK) cells. In this prospective clinical trial, we propose to assess the effective and safety of low-dose IL-2 combined with ganciclovir in the treatment of CMV infection. Meanwhile, we will assess the immune response of after IL-2 treatment.

Helicobacter pylori infection causes active peptic ulcer disease and related complications like bleeding and pyloric obstruction. Usually, clinicians tended to treat Helicobacter pylori infection after active peptic ulcer disease and related complicaitons getting healed, which spent time and money. This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous administration of metronidazole, levofloxacin and esomeprazole triple therapy in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection combined with peptic ulcer disease related complications.