Active clinical trials for "Inflammation"

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction and polycystic ovaries. Insulin resistance (IR) is a common feature of PCOS, and the resultant hyperinsulinemia is theorized to promote hyperandrogenism in the disorder. However, 30-50% of women with PCOS who are lean do not have insulin resistance. Women with PCOS also exhibit chronic low-grade inflammation. In PCOS, glucose ingestion activates nuclear factor ĸB (NFĸB), the cardinal signal of inflammation culminating in upregulation of the inflammation pathway within mononuclear cells (MNC). This phenomenon is independent of excess adiposity and is highly correlated with circulating androgens. In addition, in vitro exposure to proinflammatory stimuli is capable of directly stimulating ovarian theca cell androgen production. Nonacetylated salicylates suppress NFĸB activation and are well tolerated in humans. The proposed research is a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of 90 women with PCOS. Forty-five subjects with PCOS (15 lean without IR), 15 lean with IR and 15 obese) receiving salsalate, a nonacetylated salicylate, at an oral dose of 3-4 gm daily for 12 weeks will be compared with 45 age- and body-composition-matched control women with PCOS receiving placebo. The overarching hypothesis is that inflammation contributes to ovarian dysfunction, independent of excess adiposity or IR. The specific aims are, I: To examine the effect of salsalate administration on the ovarian capacity to secrete androgen and on insulin sensitivity in PCOS. II: To examine the effect of salsalate administration on the inflammatory response of mononuclear cells induced by lipid ingestion and glucose infusion in PCOS. The approach involves evaluation of ovarian androgen secretion in response to human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) administration and insulin sensitivity during the euglycemic phase of a two-step pancreatic clamp along with ovulation monitoring before and after salsalate administration. The inflammatory response of MNC to lipid ingestion and the hyperglycemic phase of the two-step clamp will also be evaluated during treatment by measuring reactive oxygen species, the mRNA and protein content of inflammation markers, NFĸB activation and cytokine release in culture. The investigators expect that women with PCOS receiving salsalate will exhibit decreased ovarian androgen secretion and reduced inflammation regardless of adiposity or IR status. These results will be significant if they show a causal contribution of inflammation to ovarian dysfunction in PCOS, thus improving our understanding of the pathogenesis of PCOS, opening previously unexplored therapeutic avenues that are not necessarily dependent on improving IR, and guiding the design of future studies aimed at determining what interventions will optimally attenuate inflammation in PCOS to reduce medical disease and enhance fertility.

More than 90% of HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy have an undetectable viral load. However, approximately 15% of these individuals do not sufficiently restore their TCD4 lymphocytes and have an unfavorable CD4/CD8 ratio despite good adherence and an undetectable viral load. Factors associated with immunovirological discordance include low CD4 cell counts prior to antiretroviral therapy, low CD4/CD8 ratios and positive cytomegalovirus (CMV) serology. These patients are at risk of significant non-AIDS events and mortality. The anti-sense protein (ASP) is synthesized from the anti-sense strand of HIV-1. A cytotoxic anti-ASP response of CD8 T lymphocytes and anti-ASP antibodies have been demonstrated in infected patients. The conservation of the ASP gene in HIV-1, the virus responsible for the pandemic, suggests that its maintenance confers an advantage to the virus. ASP induces an inflammatory phenotype in surrounding cells. ASP can be externalized by the cell through its interaction with its cellular partner Bat-3. Once externalized in soluble or exosomal form, Bat-3 has the ability to regulate NK cell activity. During HIV infection, NK functions are disrupted, including those related to the expression of the Bat-3 receptor, NKp30. In patients, the inflammatory phenomenon is strongly associated with chronic HIV-1 infection. The efficacy of antiviral treatments does not allow a complete normalization of either the immune system function or the inflammatory status of the patient. The observed effect of ASP on inflammation raises the question of the involvement of ASP in the maintenance of a chronic inflammatory state in patients under treatment. Increased inflammation has also been associated in HIV-infected patients with elevated plasma exosome levels. In patients undergoing treatment, chronic inflammation remains a major problem and an important source of comorbidities (cardiovascular in particular) and probably contributes to the immunovirological non-response in immunodiscordant HIV-infected patients. It is hypothesized that ASP bound to its cellular partner Bat-3 in exosomes would disrupt the cytotoxic activity of NK cells, sustain inflammation and have a deleterious effect on immune reconstitution.

The purpose of this study is to determine if adding dietary fiber, such as inulin, to a diet that does not have enough fiber would raise the levels of potentially beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, in the gut. There is evidence to suggest that these microbes can affect gut health and immune response, including to vaccines. The investigators will examine how inulin in the diet (compared to the maltodextrin control) (1) causes changes in the composition and function of the gut microbes, (2) reduces gut inflammation and gut leakiness caused by the vaccine, (3) increases immune response to vaccination, and (4) changes the expression of important adhesion molecules on the surface of white blood cells. Intestinal and whole-body responses will be measured in all participants.

The overall objective of this project is to determine the interplay of salmon as a whole food and its bioactive compound astaxanthin on gut microbiome, fecal metabolome, and inflammation in obese prediabetic individuals. Our central hypothesis is that dietary bioactive astaxanthin in the form of whole food salmon will effectively reduce inflammation in obese prediabetic individuals, and favorably change the gut microbiota composition and diversity. The investigators anticipate that these changes will result in improved metabolic outcomes in obesity and type 2 diabetes. The two primary aims include: Aim 1: Assess the anti-inflammatory effect of the salmon dietary intervention and the underlying mechanisms on the change in plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines important for the host immune response. Aim 2: Identify whether the relationship between salmon consumption and decreased inflammation is mediated by the gut microbiome.

The overall goal of this study is to investigate the effects of stress and glucose intake at the molecular level including gene expression, protein and functional analysis of immune cells in real time. Aim 1- Characterizing the immune response after acute stress and glucose consumption Aim 2- Temporal mapping of the modulation of immune cell function via meditation Aim 3-Influence of meditative practice on lupus patients Aim 4-Influence of meditative practice on healthy subjects Current Clinicaltrials.gov record, will be focused on Aim-3 only. Aim-3 will test whether meditation alters neutrophil function and inflammation in patients with lupus. Study team will investigate whether patient neutrophils have altered NET formation, phagocytosis, ROS signaling and migration after ABMP. Innate immune function via analysis of monocytes by flow cytometry will also be analyzed. Other immune cell responses including CD8 T cells will also be investigated.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with significant, progressive cognitive decline. Key defects in mitochondrial fuel metabolism insulin resistance, inflammation and decreased brain glucose uptake are linked to AD. This trial will investigate the effects of supplementing glycine and N-acetylcysteine vs. alanine as placebo on these defects in AD, and examine the effects on cognition.

Simvastatin is being employed because it is a 'statin'. As a drug class, statins have broad anti-inflammatory properties. Low-level inflammation is thought to be a potentially important mediator of the effects of psychosocial stress (including loneliness) on affect and vulnerability to depression. In this study we are using statins as an experimental tool to investigate this relationship further. Statins are widely prescribed agents that are regarded as very safe and so are suitable tools in this context. We have selected simvastatin because it is one of the most widely used statins and has an excellent safety profile, being also available 'over the counter'.

The goal of this study is to determine the impact of dietary sodium and fructose on blood pressure and inflammation in young healthy adults.

The purpose of this research study is to 1) understand how some, but not all people with obesity develop obesity related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and 2) compare the effects of 3 popular weight loss diets (Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate, or a very-low-fat plant-based diet) in people with obesity.

Primary Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of dupilumab administered every 2 weeks in patients with moderate or severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as measured by Annualized rate of acute moderate or severe COPD exacerbation (AECOPD) Secondary Objectives: To evaluate the effect of dupilumab administered every 2 weeks on Pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) over 12 weeks compared to placebo Health related quality of life, assessed by the change from baseline to Week 52 in the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 over 52 weeks compared to placebo Lung function assessments Moderate and severe COPD exacerbations To evaluate safety and tolerability To evaluate dupilumab systemic exposure and incidence of antidrug antibodies (ADA)