
Role of Immune System in Obesity-related Inflammation and Cardiometabolic Risk
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseMetabolic Syndrome3 moreThe purpose of this study is to learn more about how the body stores fat in and around organs (for example in the liver) and why this affects some people's health more than others. Understanding this may lead to better treatments for diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Vitamin D and Fish Oil for Autoimmune Disease, Inflammation and Knee Pain
Autoimmune DiseasesSystemic Inflammatory Process3 moreThe VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL; NCT 01169259) is a randomized clinical trial in 25,871 U.S. men and women investigating whether taking daily dietary supplements of vitamin D3 (2000 IU) or omega-3 fatty acids (Omacor® fish oil, 1 gram) reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and stroke in people who do not have a prior history of these illnesses. This ancillary study is being conducted among VITAL participants and will examine whether vitamin D or fish oil have effects upon A) autoimmune disease incidence, B) biomarkers of systemic inflammation, and C) chronic knee pain. Blood samples at baseline and in follow-up will be collected in a randomly selected subcohort of 1500 individuals and analyzed for changes in biomarkers of systemic inflammation: C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-receptor 2. Approximately 1300 individuals with chronic, frequent knee pain will be followed with annual questionnaires to evaluate the effects of the supplements on chronic knee pain.

The Role of Inflammation in Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial InfarctionThe aim of this research is to study the prognostic role of a selected combination of cytokines and adipokines in patients with myocardial infarction, as well as to determine their role in the development of adverse cardiac remodeling.

PET/MR in Post Stroke Cardiac Inflammation Study
StrokeInflammationPatients with stroke have a 25x higher risk of cardiovascular complications within the first 30 days of the event compared to individuals without stroke. The mechanisms behind these complications are not well understood. Evidence suggests that inflammation plays a central role. With the present proof-of-concept prospective cohort study, the investigators aim to demonstrate that patients develop cardiac inflammation after stroke by performing positron emission tomography (PET) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart within 15 days after stroke. As a secondary aim, the investigators will evaluate whether post-stroke cardiac inflammation persists at 3 months after stroke. The control group will be comprised of age- and sex-matched individuals without stroke.

Macrophage Regulation of Ozone-Induced Lung Inflammation
SARS-CoV-2 PneumoniaThe purpose of this research study to understand how prior respiratory infections affect the susceptibility to lung inflammation following environmental exposures.

Chemerin in Colorectal Cancer and Its Relationship With Diet Quality
Colorectal CancerDiet4 moreTo investigate the relationship between serum chemerin levels of individuals with colorectal cancer and systematic inflammatory response parameters such as C-reactive protein(CRP) and albumin, and to investigate the relationship of these biomarkers with dietary inflammatory index, phytochemical, anthropometric measurements, and dietary inflammatory index, which is calculated with the data obtained from the 24-hour food consumption record and food consumption frequency questionnaire. The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between the index and dietary antioxidant capacity and to compare them with those of healthy individuals.

Diagnostic and Translational Values of Point-of-care Blood Eosinophils and Exhaled Nitric Oxide...
AsthmaAsthma in Children2 moreAsthma is characterised by episodic symptoms (attacks) caused by airway inflammation and decreased airflow to the lungs. It affects 10% of the Canadian population and is the most common chronic disease in childhood. Despite its burden and its potential to be life-threatening, establishing the diagnosis takes time due to difficulty in accessing specialised breathing tests. Indeed, the current diagnostic strategy relies on a breathing test (spirometry) and, if non-diagnostic, a subsequent more complicated breathing test conducted in hospitals (a bronchial provocation test). Our dependence on the latter test must be confronted to the bottleneck created by our reliance on it and the difficulty to do these tests in children. Furthermore, within the current framework, people receiving a diagnosis do not know if they have active airway inflammation - a key feature with predicts increased susceptibility to asthma attacks and treatment responsiveness. Our study's goal is to validate clinically accessible and useful diagnostic tests for peoplesuspected to have asthma. Specifically, we are interested in alternative tests that are a) achievable outside the hospital; b) useful markers of airway inflammation/risk c) can identify people at with a higher likelihood of responding to anti-inflammatory therapy. The two tests we are mainly interested in are: Exhaled nitric oxide (measured with a portable handheld machine) The blood eosinophil count (obtained on a general blood test) +/- Other tests which we might be able to develop within this cohort (e.g. urine tests)

Beyond the Eosinophil: Understanding the Impact of Eosinophil Depletion on T2 Inflammation. (BEUTI)...
AsthmaBenralizumab is a relatively new treatment that is approved by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, https://www.nice.org.uk/) for patients with severe asthma who have ongoing eosinophilic inflammation that remains poorly controlled despite high dose inhaled glucocorticosteroid medication. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that are linked to allergy and inflammation and are raised in people with severe asthma. Severe asthma is associated with a type-2 (T2) inflammation phenotype characterised by increased T2 cytokines (IL-13, IL-4, IL-5). Increased levels of eosinophils can cause inflammation in the lungs, increasing the risk of asthma attacks. The standard treatment for asthma involves taking inhaled glucocorticosteroid medication which primarily work by suppressing eosinophilic inflammation in the lungs. Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets a receptor on the surface of eosinophils called interleukin-5 receptor-α (IL-5Rα) leading to the rapid death of these cells and consequently a reduction in airways inflammation. In clinical trials, benralizumab has been shown to reduce both symptoms and the number of asthma attacks suffered by those with severe eosinophilic asthma. However, it remains unclear whether this clinical efficacy relates purely to the removal of the eosinophil, or additionally to the impact of this on other parts of the immune system. The BEUTI study will examine the structure and function of airway cells in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Particularly how the immune function of these cells changes with treatment and whether benralizumab leads to a reduction in T2 mediators and/or activation in airway cells. The aim is to take samples of cells from the airways during a bronchoscopy (a camera test looking into the lungs) before starting benralizumab and after 12 weeks of treatment. These investigations will allow us to better understand how benralizumab affects the cells within the airways and the pathways involved.

Effect of Photobiomodulation on Pain Control After Placement of Elastomeric Spacers.
InflammationRecent studies have shown that photobiomodulation (FBM) can modulate pain after the placement of elastomeric separators, however, to date, there is no ideal protocol for its application. Therefore, the objective of this study will be to evaluate the effect of photobiomodulation on pain control 24 hours after the placement of elastomeric separators using the visual analog scale (VAS). 25 patients between 13 and 30 years old with the need for the placement of orthodontic bands in the lower first molars bilaterally will be included, which establishes a sample of fifty molars. Elastomeric separators will be placed on the mesial and distal surfaces of the right and left molars. Treatment will be randomized to the right molar and the opposite treatment will be applied to the left side. The study groups will be G1 (experimental) - elastomeric separators + FBM (diode laser, 808nm, 100mw power, with 2 J, 3 points per vestibular and 3 points per palatal, single session, 707J/cm2) and G2-(control)- elastomeric separators + FBM simulation. The patient and the evaluator will be blinded to the intervention performed. The primary outcome variable will be spontaneous pain assessed 24 hours after the placement of elastomeric separators measured with the VAS scale. Secondary outcome variables will be pain during mastication (measured with the VAS scale), count of the number of analgesics (paracetamol), local temperature (measured with a digital thermometer), and assess the impact of oral health on quality of life. of the participant, the OHIP-14 questionnaire will be applied. These outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, 24 with the presence of the participant, and 72 hours after the placement of elastomeric separators. If the data are normal, they will be submitted to the ANOVA - one-way test. Data will be presented as means ± SD and the p-value will be set to < 0.05.

Inflammation and Protein Restriction
Protein RestrictionDiet1 moreThere is strong scientific data that supports that short-term protein restrictive diets reduce surgical stress responses. The investigators are hoping to use the information collected from the blood serum and muscle tissue of healthy subjects to help understand the baseline and early changes in muscle energetic and cell-mediated inflammation. The study team hopes to use the data collected in this pilot study to compare with patients undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in a future study