Efficacy of SBR759 in Lowering Serum Phosphate Levels in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients on Hemodialysis...
Hyperphosphatemia Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease on 3x/Week Replacement TherapyThis study will evaluate the efficacy of SBR759 compared to sevelamer HCl in lowering serum phosphate levels in Chronic Kidney Disease patients on hemodialysis
Treatment With Synthetic ACTH in High Risk Patients With Membranous Nephropathy
Idiopathic Membranous NephropathyThe purpose of this study is to determine whether treatment with long-acting synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone is in the treatment of patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy and high for renal failure.
Simultaneous Islet-Kidney Transplantation in Patients of Type 1 Diabetes With End-stage Renal Disease...
Type 1 Diabetes MellitusEnd-stage Renal DiseaseThe aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of simultaneous islet-kidney transplantation in patients of type 1 diabetes with end-stage renal disease using a glucocorticoid-free immunosuppressive regimen with alemtuzumab induction. Islet transplantation can result in insulin independence with excellent metabolic control when glucocorticoid-free immunosuppression is combined with the infusion of an adequate islet mass. Alemtuzumab (Campath-1H ®) is a 150-kDa humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that targets the CD52 antigen. Prolonged lymphocyte depletion can be expected following alemtuzumab treatment.
Effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and a Structured Exercise Program on Dialysis Patients
End Stage Kidney DiseaseThis study aims to examine the effect of 25 hydroxyvitamin D supplementation and a structured exercise program on the exercise capacity and quality of life of haemodialysis patients with 25 hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency.
"Steroids and Azathioprine Versus Steroids Alone in IgAN"
IGA NephropathyIn a previous trial the investigators found that the effect of steroids in IgA nephropathy diminish over time. The difference in renal survival is striking up till the third year, but then remains constant. A six-month course of steroid therapy may be not enough to ensure a stable remission. The investigators hypothesized that a more aggressive treatment may obtain long-term better results. The investigators conducted a randomised controlled trial to assess the utility of low-dose azathioprine added to steroids in adult IgAN patients.
N-Acetylcysteine and Milk Thistle for Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy
Diabetic NephropathiesProteinuria1 moreThe study is designed to test if the combination of two potent antioxidant nutritional supplements, N-acetylcysteine and the milk thistle extract silibin, is capable of correcting the shedding of urine protein, the oxidative stress, and the inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic kidney disease.
Safety and Toxicity Study of Sorafenib in Patients With Kidney Cancer
CarcinomaRenal Cell2 moreDetermine time-to-progression (TTP) for an escalating dose schedule for subjects with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sorafenib
Mycophenolate Mofetil for IgA Nephropathy
IGA NephropathyIgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the commonest primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. In Hong Kong, IgAN accounts for approximately 30% of all primary glomerular diseases, and a significant proportion of young patients (< 50 years of age) on dialysis therapy are sufferers of primary IgAN. To date, no specific therapeutic agent has been consistently shown to halt the progression of IgAN to end-stage renal failure, particularly in patients with persistent significant proteinuria and the presence of chronic tubulointerstitial inflammation on kidney biopsy. In recent years, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) have been found capable of significantly reducing proteinuria in some IgAN patients, while others, particularly those with the ACE DD genotype, showed either absent or unsatisfactory response to angiotensin blockade. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a marketed immunosuppressive drug which acts by releasing mycophenolic acid (MPA) to inhibit the de novo pathway of purine synthesis, and hence is relatively selective for lymphocytes. Apart from being efficacious for the prophylaxis of renal allograft rejection and for the induction of remission in severe lupus nephritis, MMF has been anecdotally reported to avert progression to allograft failure in recurrent IgAN of the transplanted kidney. Data on the clinical efficacy of MMF in the treatment of primary IgAN, however, is lacking. In the current proposal, we aim to study the clinical efficacy of MMF in patients with biopsy-proven IgAN and clinically significant proteinuria despite angiotensin blockade. Patients will be followed up for at least 5 years to track any survival difference between groups.
The Effectiveness and the Safety of Acupuncture for Symptomatic Care of Hemodialysis Patients: A...
HemodialysisEnd Stage Renal DiseasePurpose: Hemodialysis-dependent patients with an end-stage renal disease (ESRD) suffer from a number of distressing symptoms, such as pain, poor mental health, fatigue, sleep disturbance and pruritus. These negatively influence health-related quality of life in ESRD patients, and some of them result in increased mortality and hospitalization. Acupuncture is a widely employed treatment on several chronic disease or condition. Adjunctive use of acupuncture with conventional treatment could be a possible therapeutic option to establish an optimal care for ESRD patients who experiences co-morbid conditions or complications of hemodialysis. Due to its non-pharmacologic feature, the effects of acupuncture without involving altered pharmacokinetics and drug-interactions in hemodialysis patients, might be another strong point compared to other pharmacological interventions. However, little information is available for the effects and the safety of acupuncture for symptomatic care of hemodialysis patients. Thus, the investigators propose whether acupuncture could be a effective and safe therapeutic modality for a number of patient-reported symptoms in hemodialysis-dependent patients with ESRD.
Safety and Tolerability Study of APN01 (Recombinant Human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2)
Pulmonary DiseasesCardiovascular Diseases2 moreThe purpose of this study is to define the dose for a Phase II study and to investigate safety and tolerability of intravenous administration of recombinant soluble human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 in healthy volunteers.