Active clinical trials for "Inflammation"

Research hypothesis Diving to depths up to 90msw with an oxygen partial pressure of 130kPa in the breathing gas will affect the central nervous system. Diving to depths up to 90msw with an oxygen partial pressure of 130kPa in the breathing gas will induce inflammatory changes. Objectives: To investigate the presence of cerebrospinal biochemical markers in blood after diving to depths up to 90msw with an oxygen partial pressure of 130kPa in the breathing gas. To investigate the presence of inflammatory markers in blood after diving to depths up to 90msw with an oxygen partial pressure of 130kPa in the breathing gas. To investigate the presence of venous gas emboli (VGE) in blood after diving to depths up to 90msw with an oxygen partial pressure of 130kPa in the breathing gas.

Nutrients and chemicals in food are able to regulate expression of genetic elements. Gene-nutrient interaction in response to unhealthy diets can increase an individual's risk, shifting the individual from health toward the development of chronic disease. The apolipoprotein A2 (APOA2) gene may either put individuals at risk for or protect from obesity in the presence of certain fats in food. The main purpose of this four-week study is to examine diet induced gene-nutrient interaction, with a focus on gut health, gut microbiota and inflammation in individuals who have either the CC or the TT form within a specific variant of the APOA2 Gene. The (2) one-week study diets, one plant based and the other animal based are separated by a (1) week return to your regular habitual without probiotic or prebiotic food products.

Despite improvements in perioperative care, non-cardiac surgery remains associated with significant and costly complications. Analysis of perioperative deaths in the United Kingdom suggests that roughly 80% are directly attributable to infectious and cardiovascular complications. The best available evidence suggests that medical optimization is the preferred strategy to reduce cardiac risks but there has been no novel strategy to reduce nosocomial infection rates in over 20 years. Emerging evidence in both the non-operative and operative setting suggest that statin drugs may prevent both infectious and cardiac events. The mechanism(s) of action are not entirely clear but appear to independent of lipid lowering effects and are often referred to as pleiotropic effects. Two key elements of the pleiotropic effects of statins appear to be their anti-inflammatory properties and improved endothelial vascular reactivity. The statin dose required to maximize these effects is unknown. A large observational trial suggests a contradictory dose effect with higher doses associated with reduced infectious complications and lower doses associated with fewer cardiac complications. Doctors therefore still have many unanswered questions about the use of statins in the perioperative setting. Should they be routinely started on all or only certain surgical patients? What dose of statin should be used? If a patient is already on a statin, should their dose be altered perioperatively? The latter question is particularly relevant in light of the marked increase in statin use. Recruitment logs for an ongoing trial demonstrate that over 70% of patients undergoing high-risk surgery were taking a statin but at markedly variable doses. This population presents an ideal opportunity to determine if there is a dose response relationship between statins and pleiotropic effects. We therefore propose an observational study that will determine anti-inflammatory and endothelial effects in high-risk surgical patients on varying doses of a perioperative statin drug. Atorvastatin diminishes the rise in C-reactive protein (CRP), measured 48 hours after elective vascular surgery, in a dose dependent fashion. Secondary Hypotheses: Atorvastatin reduces endothelial dysfunction after elective vascular surgery, as measured by brachial artery ultrasound, in a dose dependent fashion.

The investigators want to assess differences in lung function and bronchial inflammation of young smokers and non-smokers with (BMI > 30) and without obesity (BMI < 25)(4 patient groups). The aim of the study is to compare differences in lung function (VC, FEV1, VC/FEV1, metacholine challenge) and bronchial inflammation in relation with smoking history and levels of exhaled CO. For the latter the investigators will analyze the levels of IL-8, IL-6, TNF alpha and INF gamma and mRNA of LBP, TLR2 and TLR4 in sputum. Further, inflammatory markers e.g. low CRP and inflammatory cytokines levels in the blood will be investigated. The aim is to describe a early stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by cigarette smoke in juvenile smokers, and the relationship between bronchial inflammation and obesity in adolescents.

Background: - Research has shown that certain proteins in cells may be linked to higher risks of developing inflammations, tumors, and other medical problems. By examining how the blood cells of healthy volunteers respond to environmental exposures, researchers hope to better understand the relationship of genes, environmental factors, and human diseases. Objectives: - To examine how specific genes and proteins in blood cells respond to environmental exposures. Eligibility: - Healthy volunteers between 18 and 45 years of age. Design: The study will involve one visit of 45 to 60 minutes. Participants will be screened with a brief physical examination and finger stick to determine if they are eligible to donate blood for the study, and will complete a questionnaire about any medications or other drugs (e.g., cigarettes) they may be taking. Participants will provide a blood sample for research purposes.

The inflammatory state and composition of atherosclerotic plaques are considered the main contributing factors responsible for acute cardiovascular events, rather than the degree of stenosis. Recently, positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) has been suggested as a promising novel imaging technique to identify the inflammatory state of atherosclerotic plaque. Recently, a few clinical studies showed that circulating A-FABP level had a close relation with the development of atherosclerosis in human. Therefore, in the present study, the investigators examined the relationship between circulating A-FABP and vascular inflammation of carotid arteries measured using FDG-PET in healthy male subjects.

The purpose of this study is to address safety and efficiency of a new iron particle contrast agent, ferumoxytol. This product may be more useful in viewing the vessels of the brain and areas in the brain on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), than the standard substance, gadolinium, injected during MRI and MRA. Other ways in which ferumoxytol may help include the following: Ferumoxytol may provide the ability to better see inflammatory lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans Ferumoxytol may be useful in its ability to cross blood vessels into inflammatory processes, and Ferumoxytol, because of its size and ability to get into the area next to your inflammatory lesion and could assist in the treatment of inflammatory lesions association with cardiac surgery or CNS vascular surgery.

Obesity is a growing public health concern, with approximately 31% of Americans considered obese. The link between abdominal obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been well established, but the effect of distinct types of abdominal fat tissue on CVD risk is not well known. The rate of obesity and the distribution of abdominal fat differ with age, sex, and ethnicity. These differences may have important implications for determining ethnic-specific relationships between abdominal body composition (ABC), inflammation, and CVD events. This study will evaluate the association between measures of abdominal fat, CVD risk, and inflammation in terms of ethnicity-, sex-, and age-specific differences.

Current research shows that obesity greatly increases the risk of developing asthma. Although the two conditions are clearly related, experts do not fully understand why they are linked. Some researchers believe that hormones released in the fat cells (adipokines) play a role. Others believe that excess weight pressing on the lungs triggers the hyperreactive response in the airways that is typical of asthma. The goal of the Asthma-Bariatric Surgery Study is to determine how weight loss affects lung function and various biological parameters. Bariatric (weight loss) surgery refers to the various surgical procedures performed to treat obesity. Specifically, this study is designed to answer the following questions: Does bariatric surgery help patients control their asthma? How much asthma control can be achieved through weight loss? How does weight loss influence lung function? Participants in this observational research study will be asked to complete study visits at enrollment, 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months. Questionnaires, pulmonary function tests, and blood samples will be required at each time point. This research study is observational only; it does not cover the cost of (or provide) bariatric surgery. Optional genetic and bronchoscopy substudies are included as well.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by airway hyper-responsiveness and reversible airway obstruction. Over the last decade, the prevalence of asthma is on the rise and it disproportionately affects more women than men. As much as 40% of women with asthma are known to have worsening of asthma symptoms and lung function prior to menstruation. This syndrome is being increasingly recognized as premenstrual asthma (PMA). The pathologic differences in female asthmatics with and without this syndrome are not known. The evidence regarding the role of sex hormones has been contradicting. We propose an observational cohort study to examine the changes in airway inflammation in women with asthma in relation to their menstrual cycle and their association with sex hormone levels. In addition we will include women on oral contraceptives to determine their effect on airway inflammation and asthma symptoms. We hypothesis that: Women with premenstrual asthma will show increased indices of airway inflammation in various phases the monthly menstrual cycle. In women with premenstrual asthma, a change in serum estradiol/progesterone ratio during the late luteal phase is associated with worsening of airway inflammation, air flow limitation and asthma symptoms. The use of oral contraceptives is associated with suppression of the cyclical changes in airway inflammation due to lack of fluctuations in estradiol and progesterone levels. Recruited subjects will be asked to record asthma symptom scores, morning Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (m-PEFR) and rescue asthma medication (β2-agonist) used daily during the one month screening period to identify women with and without pre-menstrual asthma. Asthmatic women with regular menstrual cycles will be evaluated in their follicular phase (days 5-8) and luteal phase (days 21-24) and women on oral contraceptive pills (OCP) will be evaluated on days 9-12 of their OCP cycle and during the days 25-28, off of OCP consecutively for a 2-month period.