Active clinical trials for "Inflammation"

Abstract: Fatty liver most frequently corresponds to a fat overload of the liver. It is usually classified as alcoholic steatosis or non-alcoholic steatosis. In the case of non alcoholic fatty liver overload, the histological spectrum ranges from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH) which associates inflammation to steatosis, with a risk of progression to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Obese patients are at particular risk of NASH. Screening of these hepatic lesions is difficult especially as they may exist while the liver tests are normal. The diagnosis of NASH is currently done by liver biopsy, which exposes them in particular to the risk of hemorrhagic complications. Number of subjects required: According to the literature and data collected Louis Mourier in the recent years, the inclusion of 200 patients would examine 20-40 patients with severe histological steatosis and steatohepatitis. All patients will be included in Louis Mourier hospital. Follow-up: one month Search duration: 37 months Duration inclusions: 36 months The total duration of participation for a patient will be one month. Methodology: It is a monocentric, prospective study evaluating the value of noninvasive tests for the diagnosis of hepatic lesions in morbid obese patients. The "open " MRI system allows access to MRI for all obese patients (maximum weight 250 kg). Three of such systems are available in France and liver pathology can be explored only on the system of Louis Mourier. The reference method is liver histology; studied tests are abdominal MRI, Fibroscan / CAP, and serum tests. Examinations required specifically for research Examinations required specifically for the research is abdominal MRI, FibroScan/ CAP and serum tests. Primary endpoint : To validate the use of abdominal MRI, the FibroScan/ CAP and serum tests for finding severe steatosis and / or NASH, specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values of these tests are calculated. The gold standard is the result of histology on liver biopsy, with a morphometric study of these parameters. ROC curves are used to determine the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity. The secondary endpoints were: Histological lesions of liver fibrosis. Quantification of abdominal fat by MRI (in the form of three variables of interest: quantification of the surface of the visceral fat, of subcutaneous fat and of intrahepatic fat assessed by the percentage loss of signal

A common starting dose of glucosamine and chondroitin will reduce inflammation as reflected by a reduction in serum C-reactive protein.

This study aims to determine if different diabetes treatments have different effects on inflammation; in particular, kidney inflammation. This type of inflammation is common in people with diabetes, and can lead to kidney failure. This study will investigate the effect of different types of diabetes treatment on kidney inflammation. This will help us to decide if certain types of medicine should be preferred in people with evidence of inflammation in their kidneys, as this may help prevent major complications including kidney failure.

A. BACKGROUND Accumulation of fat in the liver due to non-alcoholic causes (NAFLD) is associated with hepatic insulin resistance, which impairs the ability of insulin to inhibit the production of glucose and VLDL . This leads to increases in serum glucose, insulin and triglyceride concentrations as well as hyperinsulinemia. Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that a major reason for the metabolic syndrome as well as the accompanying increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes is overconsumption of simple sugars. The investigators have recently shown that overeating simple sugars (1000 extra calories/day, "CANDY" diet) increases liver fat content by 30% within 3 weeks (4), and recapitulates features of the metabolic syndrome such as hypertriglyceridemia and a low HDL cholesterol concentration. The fatty acids in intrahepatocellular triglycerides may originate from peripheral lipolysis, de novo lipogenesis, uptake of chylomicron remnants by the liver and from hepatic uptake of fatty acids released during intravascular hydrolysis of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (the spillover pathway). A classic study using stable isotope methodology by the group of Elisabeth Parks showed that in subjects with NAFLD, the excess intrahepatocellular triglycerides originate from peripheral lipolysis and de novo lipogenesis. It is well-established that ingestion of a high carbohydrate as compared to high fat diet stimulates de novo lipogenesis in humans. Meta-analyses comparing isocaloric high fat and high carbohydrate diets have shown that high carbohydrate but not high fat diets increase increase serum triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol. Since hypertriglyceridemia results from overproduction of VLDL from the liver, these data suggest the composition of the diet influences hepatic lipid metabolism. Whether this is because overfeeding fat leads to preferential deposition of fat in adipose tissue while high carbohydrate diets induce a relative greater increase in liver fat is unknown. There are no previous studies comparing effects of chronic overfeeding of fat as compared to carbohydrate on liver fat or and the sources of intrahepatic fatty acids. A common polymorphism in PNPLA3 at rs738409 (adiponutrin) gene is associated with a markedly increase liver fat content. This finding has been replicated in at least 20 studies across the world. The investigators have shown that PNPLA3 is regulated by the carbohydrate response element binding protein 1. Mice overexpressing the human I148M PNPLA3 variant in the liver exhibit an increase in liver triglycerides and cholesteryl esters on a high sucrose but not high fat diet. These data suggest that overfeeding a high carbohydrate as compared to a high fat diet may increase liver fat more in subjects carrying the I148M allele than in non-carriers. B. HYPOTHESIS The investigators hypothesize that overfeeding a high fat as compared to an isocaloric high carbohydrate diet influences the source of intrahepatocellular triglycerides. During a high fat diet, relatively more of intrahepatocellular triglycerides originate from peripheral lipolysis and less from DNL than during a high carbohydrate diet in the face of a similar increase in liver fat. It is also possible given the lack of previous overfeeding data comparing 2 different overfeeding diets that the high fat diet induces a smaller increase in liver fat than a high carbohydrate diet even in the face of an identical increase in caloric intake because a greater fraction of ingested fat is channeled to adipose tissue than the liver. The investigators also hypothesize that liver fat may increase more in carriers than non-carriers of the I148M variant in PNPLA3 during a high carbohydrate than a high fat diet. C. SPECIFIC AIMS The investigators wish to randomize, using the method of minimization (considers baseline age, BMI, gender, liver fat, PNPLA3 genotype) 40 non-diabetic subjects with NAFLD as determined by the non-invasive score developed in our laboratory or previous knowledge of liver fat content based on MRS to overeat either a high carbohydrate or high fat diet (1000 extra calories per day) for 3 weeks. Before and after the overfeeding diets, will measure liver fat content by 1H-MRS and the rate of adipose tissue lipolysis using doubly labeled water (DDW) and [1,1,2,3,3-2H5] glycerol as described in detail below. The investigators also wish to characterize glucose, insulin, fatty acid and triacylglyceride profiles before and while on the experimental diet. An adipose tissue biopsy is taken to determine whether expression of genes involved in lipogenesis or lipolysis, or those involved in adipose tissue inflammation change in response to overfeeding, and for measurement of LPL activity. After overfeeding, both groups will undergo weight loss to restore normal weight as described in our recent study. The metabolic study is repeated after weight loss.

The purpose of this research study is to investigate how and why the loss of muscle mass occurs with aging. Tissue collected from young subjects will be compared to previously collected tissue from elderly subjects, as well as previously collected data on muscle function/mass to further investigate cellular and molecular pathways that have recently been shown to be important for the aging process in muscle. The Principal Investigator (PI) and the study team will look for specific proteins (called biomarkers) that can be present in the muscle tissue in various amounts in different individuals. This study will increase the investigators understanding of the processes of muscle atrophy (loss of mass) and functional loss at older age and will help to find new treatments and interventions aimed at improving the quality of life and independence of America's rapidly expanding elderly population.

Polar lipids have a specific chemical structure: they are an essential component of human cell membranes, play a major role in the nervous system and also influence the metabolic pathways including the cholesterol metabolism. Polar lipids are used in food-processing industry for their emulsification properties. The most famous emulsifier is soya lecithin but milk also naturally contains natural emulsifiers such as polar lipids. The purpose of this research is to study plasma cholesterol variation after daily intake of milk polar lipids-fortified cheese products. The volunteers will have to consume 100 g of cheese product during four weeks instead of their usual cheese products. It is a bi-centric study with a centre in LYON (Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Rhône-Alpes) and CLERMONT-FERRAND (Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Auvergne).

HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), likely due to chronically increased inflammation. Low-dose methotrexate (LDMTX) may reduce CVD risk in people with rheumatoid arthritis, who like those with HIV, have increased levels of inflammation. The NHLBI is funding a clinical trial targeting the excess inflammation in HIV. That "Parent Study" is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT01949116) that will assess whether 24-week treatment with LDMTX: i) is safe, ii) reduces circulating inflammatory biomarkers and levels of immune cell activation and iii) improves brachial artery reactivity. However, neither the biomarkers nor endothelial function tests measured as part of the parent study will report on atherosclerotic inflammation, (the desired pathobiological target of LDMTX therapy in HIV). As such, the direct evaluation of arterial inflammation would substantially enhance the scientific value of the trial. In this imaging sub-study, the overall goal is to determine if treating virologically suppressed, HIV-infected individuals with LDMTX will reduce inflammation within the arterial wall. This fully integrated ancillary study would, in a subset of patients enrolled in the parent trial: (i) assess the impact of LDMTX on arterial inflammation, (ii) evaluate mechanisms responsible for arterial inflammation in HIV and iii) explore mechanisms responsible for actions of LDMTX on the artery wall. Accordingly, the proposed study would provide unique and highly complementary information that would greatly increase the knowledge and mechanistic insights gained from Parent Study. The ancillary study has two specific aims1) To determine the impact of anti-inflammatory treatment with LDMTX on arterial inflammation, as assessed by FDG-PET/CT imaging, in virally suppressed HIV-infected individuals., and 2) To evaluate the cellular and biochemical basis of the effect of LDMTX therapy on arterial inflammation in HIV.

This is a prospective observational study , to clarity the characteristics of airway inflammation, airway reactivity and airway resistance in rhinitic children with or without asthma and to explore the possible predictors in the progression of allergic rhinitis to asthma.

The objective of this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel trial is to determine whether consuming avenanthramide-enriched oats daily for 8 weeks on can improve biomarkers of inflammation in older, obese adults.

The objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-design clinical trial is to investigate the potential antioxidant benefits of a cranberry beverage. The investigators hypothesize the chronic consumption of this beverage will improve indices of oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial function, and glucoregulation. The investigators also hypothesize that these benefits will be particularly evident following an oral glucose tolerance test.