
MMF After Pediatric Liver Transplantation
Liver TransplantationChronic Kidney DiseaseThe use of CNIs (CSA or FK) as primary immunosuppressive drugs after pediatric liver transplantation is one of the main causes of chronic kidney disease in these patients in the long term. The study objective is the evaluation of safety of a modification in immunosuppression from a dual-immunosuppression (CSA or FK plus steroids) to a triple immunosuppression (MMF plus CSA (reduced dosage) plus steroids.

STAAR-2 Clinical Study
Chronic Kidney DiseaseChronic Renal Insufficiency3 moreTo assess the effect of Aranesp on the hemoglobin (Hgb) of CRI subjects who are recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO)-naïve or converting from rHuEPO therapy.

Somatostatin in Polycystic Kidney: a Long-term Three Year Follow up Study
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary renal disease, responsible for 8% to 10% of the cases of end stage renal disease (ESRD) in Western countries. At comparable levels of blood pressure control and proteinuria, patients with ADPKD have faster decline in glomerular filtration rate than those with other renal diseases and do not seem to benefit to the same extent of ACE inhibitor therapy. A reasonable explanation for the above findings is that in ADPKD progression is largely dependent on the development and growth of cysts and secondary disruption of normal tissue. Thus, renoprotective interventions in ADPKD - in addition to achieve maximal reduction of arterial blood pressure and proteinuria and to limit the effects of additional potential promoters of disease progression such as dyslipidemia, chronic hyperglycemia or smoking - should also be specifically aimed to correct the dysregulation of epithelial cell growth, secretion, and matrix interactions characteristic of the disease. Evidence that specific receptors for somatostatin are present in the kidney tissue, arises the possibility that somatostatin treatment in patients with ADPKD might inhibit fluid formation and eventually induce the shrinking of renal cysts.To evaluate the tolerability and the safety of long-acting somatostatin in ADPKD patients, a prospective cross-over controlled study has been recently performed. This pilot study demonstrated the safety of six month treatment of long-acting somatostatin in patients with ADPKD. Moreover, the percent increase of total kidney volume was significantly lower in patients on somatostatin than in placebo. Overall, these findings provide the basis for designing a long-term study in ADPKD patients aimed to document the efficacy of the somatostatin treatment in preventing further increase or even reducing the total kidney volume and the renal volume taken up by small cysts, eventually halting kidney disease progression.

Long Term Safety Study of (VIT45) Extension Study: Treatment of Anemia in Non-Dialysis Dependent...
AnemiaThe primary objective of this study is to evaluate the long term safety and tolerability of an iron maintenance dosing strategy utilizing VIT45 in the treatment of anemia of non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD). This study is a long term extension to protocol 1VIT04004 (NCT00317239).

Effects of Strict Volume Control in Hypertensive Hemodialysis Patients on Cardiac Structure and...
End-stage Renal DiseaseThis study aims mainly to investigate the effects of two approaches to control blood pressure in hypertensive hemodialysis patients; using antihypertensive drugs versus strict volume control (by strict dietary salt restriction and persistent ultrafiltration) without using antihypertensive drugs on cardiac structure and inflammation.

A Study of the Use of PROCRIT (Epoetin Alfa) for the Treatment of Anemia in People With Chronic...
Renal Failure Chronic1 moreThe purpose of this study is to show that giving PROCRIT (Epoetin alfa) every 2 weeks to increase the hemoglobin (Hb) level and then to adjust the PROCRIT (Epoetin alfa) dose every 4 weeks (Q4W) to maintain Hb levels, is safe and effective in patients with anemia from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), not on dialysis, who reside in long-term care facilities. In this study the frequency of PROCRIT (Epoetin alfa) dosing is under investigation.

Sirolimus (Rapamune®) for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)The aim of our study is to investigate whether Rapamune used at a low dose (2 mg/d) retards cyst growth and slows renal functional deterioration in patients with ADPKD.

Enteric-coated Mycophenolate Sodium (EC-MPS) With Reduced-dose Tacrolimus Versus EC-MPS With Standard-dose...
Kidney DiseasesThis study introduces a new optimization immunosuppressive regimen associating tacrolimus at a reduced dose and enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium at an increased dose in order to slow down renal function worsening and to prevent the progression of chronic allograft nephropathy, while maintaining the same efficacy, in maintenance renal transplant recipients.

Mycophenolate Mofetil in Membranous Nephropathy
GlomerulonephritisMembranousPatients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy and renal insufficiency are at risk for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Treatment with cyclophosphamide is currently used as a treatment modality. Mycophenolate mofetil is a new immunosuppressive agent with fewer side effects. In this pilot study patients with membranous nephropathy and renal failure will be treated with mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone. The outcome will be compared with historical controls treated with a similar regimen containing cyclophosphamide.

A Prospective, Randomised, Double-blind, Double-dummy, Forced-titration, Multicentre, Parallel Group,...
HypertensionDiabetic NephropathiesA number of blood pressure lowering drugs in the class known as angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) have been shown to slow the decline in kidney function of patients with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. Losartan (COZAAR), is one such drug. The purpose of this research study is to determine if after one year of treatment telmisartan (MICARDIS, GLIOSARTAN, KINZAL, KINZALMONO, PREDXAL, PRITOR, SAMERTAN, TELMISARTAN) 80 mg, another blood pressure lowering drug from the ARB class, is as effective as losartan (COZAAR) 100 mg in reducing the level of urinary protein (indicative of improved kidney function).