Active clinical trials for "Inflammation"

Allergic rhinitis is a common condition caused by inflammation of nasal mucosa. The study was performed to gain information on this inflammation, including effect of intranasal corticosteroid treatment hereupon and potential influence on the lower airways, ie asthma. The study was randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind in patients, monoallergic to grasspollen, presenting symptoms of rhinitis and asthma during season. Treatment,ie intranasal corticosteroid or placebo, were given four weeks. After two weeks of treatment intranasal allergen challenge was performed. Measurements were performed during the full study period. The study was performed out of pollen season.

Depressive disorders occur at a high rate in patients with inflammatory disorders, with a point prevalence of 15-29%, which is two to three times greater than that observed in the general population. Substantial evidence has shown that inflammation and increases in proinflammatory cytokine activity play a critical role in the onset and perpetuation of depression and depressive symptoms (e.g. insomnia, fatigue) in those who are co-morbid for inflammatory disorders. Consistent with this, experimental work has shown that an inflammatory challenge can increase depressed mood in an otherwise healthy sample. Based on these findings, there has been a growing interest in whether inflammatory processes can contribute to depression in a causal manner and how these effects might occur. Given the observation that inflammatory processes trigger social withdrawal, coupled with evidence that feelings of 'social disconnection' play a critical role in the onset and perpetuation of (non-inflammatory forms of) depression, it is surprising that the social psychological consequences of inflammation and their contribution to depression have not been more fully explored. Here, we suggest that inflammation may increase feelings of social disconnection and that these social psychological changes may be an important contributor to inflammation-associated depression. Indeed, preliminary data demonstrated that an experimentally-induced inflammatory challenge (endotoxin) led to increases in self-reported feelings of social disconnection (e.g., "I feel disconnected from others") in addition to increases in depressed mood. Aside from these findings, however, there are no studies that have explored the effect of inflammatory processes on social experience in humans. The over-arching objective of this proposal is to explore the experiential and neural correlates of inflammatory-induced changes in social experience (e.g., feelings of social disconnection), which may provide a critical missing link in understanding the relationship between inflammation and depression. Participants (n=100) will be randomly assigned to receive either endotoxin or placebo and will then be monitored for the next six hours. Blood draws to assess cytokine levels as well as self-reported feelings of social disconnection and depressed mood will be collected hourly. In addition, at the time of peak cytokine response, participants will complete a neuroimaging session to examine the effect of inflammatory challenge on neural sensitivity to social rejection and social acceptance. It is hypothesized that endotoxin will increase feelings of social disconnection over time, and that the underlying neural sensitivities that give rise to these feelings (e.g., increased neural sensitivity to social rejection; decreased neural sensitivity to social acceptance) will contribute to inflammatory-induced depressed mood.

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently seen cancers in the United States. It occurs at all ages but is particularly common in post menopausal women. Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer among others, and when cancer develops increases the risk of spread and death. Inflammation of fat tissue, the coronary blood vessels and the liver are also seen with obesity. Animal experiments have shown the inflammation in fat tissue increases the production of estrogen. Thus, reducing inflammation in fat tissue might lower estrogen levels and reduce the risk of breast cancer in obese women as well as the spread of other cancers in the body. Weight reduction in obesity has been shown in epidemiology studies to lower the risk of colon cancer and in obese women to lower the risk of breast cancer. However, how that occurs and how much weight loss is necessary is not known. In mice, calorie restriction in obese animals has been shown to reduce inflammation in fat tissue and the breast. In other studies, calorie reduction has been shown to lower the development of cancer. In addition, we really do not know what starts the whole inflammation process. One good possibility is that immune factors that tend to reduce inflammation are less in obesity. We have shown this in the colon and this also has been suggested as occurring in fat stores.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD or emphysema, is like any other with a chronic illness not only affected by the physical discomfort the illness gives. For COPD patients that is: accelerated loss of lung function, conditioning and increased mortality: 25% of patients hospitalized with COPD exacerbation die 12 months later. Patients are also characterized by various psychological factors such as reduced quality of life, depression, etc. Therefore, everywhere in the country newly diagnosed COPD patients are offered rehabilitation in Region Zealand which consists of 10 weeks of classes 2 hours, 2 times a week with physical exercise, smoking cessation, medication, nutrition education and psychosocial support and patient education based on the National Health Service and international recommendations. In the literature, the effect of rehabilitation on quality of life was measured using a questionnaire (St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)), and the increase in function has been measured using a walk test, but there are no studies which look at the effect on inflammation lungs. It is important for COPD patients is to prevent exacerbations of the disease, which sometimes requires hospitalization and sometimes treated by their own doctor. It has been proven that inflammation in the lungs is associated with disease severity and exacerbation frequency, and therefore we would like to investigate whether both rehabilitation, close monitoring of patients with time in the pulmonary clinic every 3 months, and instruction in self-administration of medication (antibiotics and corticosteroids) have an effect on especially inflammation in the lungs, number of exacerbations, mortality, lung function and walking capacity.

Hypothesis: aspirin attenuates inflammation in cerebral aneurysms and hence reduces the incidence of rupture. This effect can be monitored using the signal generated by macrophages (inflammatory biomarker) in ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI. Study aims: 1. Determine if daily aspirin intake (for three months) would obliterate/reduce ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI signal changes generated by macrophages in cerebral aneurysm wall. Fifteen patients with cerebral aneurysms > 7 mm will be selected to enroll in this pilot study. 10 patients will be imaged at base line with ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI. Following that, they will take aspirin 81 mg daily and then re-imaged again at three months. This group will be compared to a control group of 5 patients where they will have the imagings studies performed at base line and at three months but will NOT take aspirin.

The purpose of this study is to refine the cantharidin-induced blister assay in healthy volunteers as a model of inflammatory disease. The study is an experimental trial in healthy volunteers in two parts; Part 1 to optimise the model and Part 2 to validate using two anti-inflammatory treatments with different modes of action.

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether a probiotic can change the way bile is used by the body. The investigators will also look at the effect of the probiotic on your intestinal health.

With the recent recommendation from Health Canada to extend exclusive breast-feeding to 6 months of age there has arisen concern about what is the best solid food to introduce at that time. Traditionally solids were introduced in Canada at 4-6 months and usually iron-fortified rice cereal was the first food of choice. New recommendations from Health Canada include meat as a potential first food as well as other iron fortified foods. This has lead to uncertainty of both public health officials and parents about the optimal introduction and choice of solids after exclusive breastfeeding. In addition to meeting iron needs with the first solid food choice, the investigators are concerned about the possible generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the gut of the infant fed traditional iron fortified cereals. Infant cereals are fortified at 25-30 mg iron per 100 g dry-weight. Absorption of the non-heme electrolytic iron ranges from 5-10% so that most of the residual iron enters the colon. Normally excess iron is sequestered by a variety of mechanisms in the body, but there is no such system for the sequestering of iron in the gut lumen. The investigators have shown that providing iron supplements to adults where the majority of the iron is unabsorbed passes through the digestive tract can lead to the generation of ROS in the colon. These effects are seen in adults receiving 1 mg/kg/day supplemental iron. By 5-6 months of age infants consuming iron fortified cereals will receive the same dose and are likely producing ROS in their digestive tract. This may cause inflammation and make infants more susceptible to disease. The investigators think that meats and infant cereals with phenolic antioxidants available from fruits will likely reduce the generation of ROS in vivo. Therefore the investigators wish to determine if traditional and newly recommended first foods are safe from a free radical and inflammatory perspective. HYPOTHESES: Consumption of infant cereals with iron will increase ROS generation in the gut Consumption of infant cereals with iron and fruit will decrease ROS in the gut Consumption of meat will not generate ROS Consumption of iron fortified cereals or meat will maintain iron status during infancy

The goal of this study is to characterize the function and efficacy of the bioactive nutrient, vitamin D, in relation to infection and inflammatory status across pregnancy. The three specific aims of this study are 1) To address the impact of maternal vitamin D status on inflammation and infections across pregnancy using retrospective data, 2) To address the impact of vitamin D supplementation on maternal vitamin D status, inflammation and infections across pregnancy using prospective data and 3) To assess the impact of maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy on inflammatory mediators at the level of the placenta.

The purpose of this research study is to explore the effects of fermented papaya preparation (FPP) on whole body inflammation, physical function, fatigue, and health-related quality of life. The investigators will conduct a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study on FPP in older adults. If FPP is found to have a beneficial impact on systematic inflammation in this study population (adults aged 70-100 years old), then this supplement may be a potential treatment option to combat aging.