Active clinical trials for "Liver Cirrhosis"

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of adjuvant interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with hepatitis-C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis who underwent curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to investigate whether IFN could reduce or delay the incidence of recurrent tumor (secondary/tertiary prevention of HCC). Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with IFN (3MU thrice/wk /48 weeks) vs. no treatment after curative resection of HCC(control group)

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab in treating patients with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC). Rituximab is a laboratory-made antibody currently used to treat some kinds of lymphoma. Rituximab may also help people with PBC, a disease of the immune system. However, the safety of rituximab in PBC patients must first be established.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of continuous simvastatin administration on the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), as a surrogate marker of prognosis, and its safety in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

Septic shock is a frequent and severe complication in cirrhosis. Current mortality rate ranges between 50 and 80% of cases. Refractory shock, hepatorenal failure and variceal bleeding are the main causes of death of these patients. Terlipressin administration could prevent these complications and improve survival in this setting. Aim: To evaluate the effects of terlipressin administration on hospital survival in cirrhotic patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. Methods: Prospective, open labelled, controlled trial evaluating 72 cirrhotic patients with severe sepsis or septic shock who will be randomized to receive terlipressin plus alpha-adrenergic drugs or only alpha-adrenergic drugs at shock diagnosis. Patients will be submitted to continuous systemic hemodynamic monitoring (S. Ganz catheter or Vigileo). Changes in vasoactive systems and cytokines levels will be also evaluated.

This research study was conducted to compare the safety and effectiveness of the investigational medication, LdT (Telbivudine) versus Lamivudine, a drug currently approved by the US, European and Asian Health Authorities for the treatment of Hepatitis B infection. The results for patients taking LdT will be compared to results for patients taking lamivudine.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of modafinil in the treatment of fatigue in patients with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis. The general aim of the study is to identify a safe and effective therapy for fatigue in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and effectiveness of GI262570 compared to placebo (a pill that looks exactly like GI262570 but contains no active medicine) in improving specific tests that indicate the degree of liver fibrosis (scarring). Subjects who are enrolled in the study must have had prior treatment with interferon (either pegylated or standard interferon) plus ribavirin for at least 12 weeks to treat their hepatitis C, but either failed to clear the virus or didn't tolerate the treatment.

This study is being conducted to determine if patients with cirrhosis (liver disease) are selenium deficient. The effect of supplementation with two chemical forms of selenium on plasma selenium biomarkers will be determined and correlated with the severity of the liver disease.

The long-term goals of this proposal are to develop clinical protocols of donor preconditioning to improve liver graft function and ameliorate complications of poor graft function after liver transplantation. Achievement of these objectives would improve liver recipient outcomes, increase utilization of livers and alleviate the current critical shortage of livers for transplantation. More stringent liver donor selection intended to decrease the complications of poor graft function conflicts directly with efforts to maximize the use of donor livers. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) of liver attenuates hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) in animals. Preliminary data show hepatic IPC effectively decreases IRI following hepatic resection in humans. The specific aims of this project are: AIM 1: To test the hypothesis that 10 minutes of hepatic ischemic preconditioning in deceased donors would improve liver graft function and decrease injury in the early post transplant period. AIM 2: To test the hypothesis that ischemic preconditioning of deceased donor livers would decrease systemic inflammatory response in liver recipients in the early post transplant period. AIM 3: To examine whether ischemic preconditioning of deceased donor livers decreases early post transplant pulmonary edema and acute rejection and shortens hospital stay.

The major thrust is to determine whether treatment of patients with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) with Ursodiol (Ursodeoxycholic Acid-UDCA) plus methotrexate (MTX) is more effective than treatment with UDCA alone.