Active clinical trials for "Inflammation"

Background: - Contrast agents help things show up better on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Researchers want to see if the drug ferumoxytol is a good contrast agent. They want to determine that it does not cause prolonged MRI changes in the brain and to see if it helps identify inflammation in multiple sclerosis Objective: - To learn how ferumoxytol can be used to image inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Eligibility: Adults ages 18 70 who have MS. Healthy volunteers ages 18 70. Design: Participants will have 5 clinic visits over 6 months. Participants will be screened with a medical history, neurological exam, and blood draw. Full clinical measures will be obtained. Participants will have a 7 tesla brain MRI scan that may include gadolinium contrast agent. The MRI is a metal cylinder in a strong magnetic field. The participant will lie on a table that can slide in and out of the cylinder. During visit 2, ferumoxytol with be given through a catheter (a thin plastic tube) that is inserted with a needle into a vessel in the arm. <TAB>- Participants will then have a 7 tesla MRI scan of the brain.. At each of the next 3 clinic visits, participants will have a 7 tesla brain MRI and have blood drawn. The MRIs may include gadolinium. Participants may have a full neurologic exam at these visits. At the final visit, full clinical measures will be obtained. Participants may have more MRI scans if a 6-month MRI shows ferumoxytol still in the brain.

Globally, the most common cause of anemia is thought to be iron deficiency anemia (IDA). This was assumed to be the major cause of anemia in Cambodia, because Cambodian diets, which consist mainly of rice, lack iron-rich animal food sources. However, our findings from a previous study in Cambodia (a Canadian government funded study investigating multiple interventions to improve food and nutrition security) showed that IDA is almost non-existent and challenges this assumption. In a cross-sectional survey of 450 women from rural Cambodia, only 1.0% had Hb and ferritin levels indicative of IDA (Hb <120 g/L and ferritin <15 μg/L). A national survey conducted by UNICEF in 2014 found similarly low rates of IDA (Dr. Arnaud Laillou, UNICEF Cambodia). Further, other micronutrients known to be associated with anemia were also low (<3%) including folate and vitamins B12 and B6. In addition, 54% of the Prey Veng women had a genetic Hb disorder (e.g., α-thalassemias), which are inherited diseases that can result in a defective Hb structure and/or impair Hb production, either of which can reduce Hb concentration and increase the risk of anemia. Further, genetic Hb disorders cause ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) concentrations to increase, which reduce the diagnostic sensitivity of these biomarkers to identify IDA. In 2011, the Cambodian Ministry of Health (MOH) recommended weekly iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation for all women of reproductive age, consistent with WHO guidelines. However, if iron deficiency is not a major cause of anemia, then at best supplementation is a waste of valuable resources and at worst could cause harm. Further, the justification for provision of multiple micronutrients among this population has not yet been proven, despite the push from some organizations such as the WHO. There is an urgent need to conduct a trial to clarify whether iron or other micronutrient deficiencies are a major cause of anemia in Cambodia. Research Objectives: To compare Hb concentration (g/L) after 12-weeks of supplementation in women to determine if iron significantly improves Hb concentration, compared to a placebo; To compare Hb concentration (g/L) across the four groups (multiple micronutrients with iron, multiple micronutrients without iron, iron alone, and placebo) after 12-weeks; and To determine which of the hematological indicators (ferritin, sTfR, reticulocyte count and hepcidin) have the strongest diagnostic ability to predict responsiveness to iron therapy after 12-weeks using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Methods: A 2 x 2 factorial randomized controlled trial will be conducted over 12 weeks. A total of ~800 women (18-45 y) with mild or moderate anemia will be recruited and randomized to 1 of 4 groups: multiple micronutrients with iron, multiple micronutrients without iron, iron alone or placebo. Blood will be collected at baseline and at 1 and 12 weeks after the intervention and assessed for Hb, hematological biomarkers, inflammation and genetic Hb disorders. The investigators will use a general linear model to measure differences in Hb concentration across the four groups after the intervention. Receiver operating characteristic curves will be used to determine the diagnostic ability of the multiple hematological indicators to predict responsiveness to iron therapy.

Obesity is a risk factor for several common cancers, including those of the breast, colon, liver, and pancreas. Proposed molecular links between obesity and these types of cancer include systemic inflammation, hyperinsulinemia, and changes in the serum concentrations of sex steroid hormones and adipokines. All of these are strongly linked to low-grade chronic inflammatory processes in expanded adipose tissue. The objective of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that adipose tissue inflammation can be reduced by the foods we eat.

This study aims to evaluate whether a short-term intervention strategy using air cleaner reduces indoor exposure to airborne particles (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm, PM2.5) and phthalates and improves cardiopulmonary health among Chinese healthy adults based on a randomized double-blinded crossover trial.

An intervention study to assess the short-term cardiovascular effects of reducing personal air pollution exposure by wearing particulate filtering respirators.

This study evaluates whether a diet rich in poly-unsaturated fats can compensate for the negative effects of high saturated fat meals on metabolic, inflammatory, and coagulation responses. Half of the participants will receive a high polyunsaturated fat diet )50% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 35% fat. 21% of total energy will be poly-unsaturated fatty acids, 9% mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and 5% saturated fatty acids) for 7 days, while the other half will receive a control diet 50% carbohydrate, 35% fat, and 15% protein 50% carbohydrate, 35% fat, and 15% protein. Only, 7% of total energy will be poly-unsaturated fatty acids, 15% of total energy will be mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and 13% of total energy will be saturated fatty acids.) for 7 days.

This study is a double-blinded randomized multicenter placebo controlled trial to determine the effect of adalimumab on vascular inflammation (ascending aorta and carotides) in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

South Carolina has many gaps in health status of our citizens. Some of the biggest gaps are higher cancer rates among African Americans. The purpose of this study is to find people who have increased inflammation and study how well a community-based dietary and physical activity program works at reducing the risk of African Americans developing inflammation-related diseases.

In the present study, we evaluate the effect of the mother suplementación with DHA during the gestation and lactation on diverse aspects of the development of newborn. The effect on the oxidative stress, inflammatory signaling, bone turnover and piscomotor and visual development was studied. Women will in the sixth month of pregnancy, consume a diet balanced during last 3 months of pregnancy and the whole lactation. In addition the women will divide in two groups: one will receive a supplement of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to evaluate the effects on the development of the newborn child; whereas another group will receive a placebo. Different samples of blood of the mother and of mother milk will be taken and we will correlating her lipidic profile with the brain development of the newborn child, evaluated by different tests.

In most diabetic patients where low blood magnesium levels occur the important depletion of cellular levels is usually not measured. This study will measure both blood and oral mucosal cell magnesium levels before and after 3 months of supplementation with magnesium tablets (the recommended dietary amount of 336 milligrams per day). These magnesium levels will be correlated with blood levels of indicators of inflammation (eg C reactive protein) to see whether the cellular levels are more reliable than blood levels of magnesium for appropriate treatment of magnesium deficiency in diabetic patients.