Active clinical trials for "Liver Diseases"

The purpose of this study is is to use non-invasive diagnostic tests, Fibroscan and a simple blood test, to diagnose NASH in patients who undergo liver transplantation. Liver transplantation is a life-saving procedure for people with cirrhosis. Fatty liver is a common reason for liver transplantation due to obesity and diabetes. Fatty liver can happen again to the new transplanted liver and it is often due to metabolic risk factors (including diabetes, rapid weight gain, and immunosuppressive therapy, which are used to avoid rejection of the new liver). Some patients with fatty liver after liver transplant have non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) injury to liver the tissue (inflammation) and damage which is caused by a build-up of fat in the liver. This is a serious problem and can lead to cirrhosis and loss of the transplanted liver. There has been no detailed study into the recurrence of NASH. One reason for this is one of the only ways to detect fatty liver and NASH is to have a liver biopsy, which can be painful and have complications. Recently, a new technology (Fibroscan) and a simple blood test (cytokeratin 18) have been developed which can tell doctors how much a liver is damaged and how much fat it contains without pain or complications. This is a year long study involving one screening visit and 3 study visits, 3 months apart.

Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is the third most common genetic disorder leading to death worldwide. Apart from lung disease, AATD also leads to liver involvement in up to 50% of patients. Hence, liver involvement is the second most common cause of morbidity and mortality in AATD patients. But the natural history of disease in adults is not well understood and specific therapies are still in the phase of preclinical studies. Despite these facts and the therapeutic and preventative potential, the AATD-related liver disease is still largely being neglected by both the patients and the healthcare professionals. To improve the hepatologic care of patients with AATD, the investigators initiated a prospective multi-center study in Europe that systematically evaluates the liver function in these patients and their relatives. The investigators cooperate with both patient organizations as well as with lung centers specialized on AATD-related lung disease.

The rise in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption over the past 40 years since its introduction as a popular sweetener in the United States has led to much concern regarding its contribution to the rise in obesity (1), diabetes (2) and related cardiometabolic disorders (3).Unlike sucrose which contains equal proportions of fructose and glucose bound by an α-glycosidic bond, HFCS contains 42-55% of fructose to glucose in a free (unbound) form (4). Despite these differences in composition, both sugars possess identical energy contribution on a gram to gram basis (4). However, the higher ratio of fructose to glucose in HFCS has led to the hypothesis that HFCS may uniquely contribute to cardiometabolic risk, more so than sucrose, through proposed differences in fructose metabolism, endocrine and hedonic properties (5). We will conduct a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to assess the role of HFCS versus sucrose under energy matched (isocaloric) conditions on cardiometabolic risk.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in the United States. The cause of NAFLD is poorly defined but is thought to involve complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors. NAFLD is often associated with the traits of the metabolic syndrome including diabetes, high cholesterol or elevated blood pressure. Currently, there are no accurate noninvasive means of evaluating NAFLD and its more serious form which includes inflammation that may lead to severe scarring in the liver. The goal of this study is to evaluate shared genetic factors that underlie NAFLD and features of the metabolic syndrome as determined by blood work and radiographic studies in a cohort of twins and first degree relatives.

IL-33 is a recently identified number of the IL-1 family. Hepatic over-expression of IL-33 has been recently linked to liver fibrosis. ST-2 exerts pro-inflammatory effects of IL-33. We aimed to determine ability of ST2 to predict fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.

In this study patients with chronicle liver diseases primary biliary cirrhosis primary sclerosing cholangitis alcoholic liver cirrhosis hepatitis b or C Wilson's disease cryptogenic cirrhosis Septic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) sepsis septic shock patients after lysis should be included Blood samples will be gathered from the patients to measure fibrinogen with 5 different methods. The methods are: Clauss fibrinogen PT-Derived fibrinogen immunoturbidimetric method heat-precipitated fibrinogen Schulz fibrinogen The result of these tests will be correlated with laboratory values which are gathered in routine and the clinical outcomes.

The aim of this study is to accelerate recovery after liver surgery by enhancing intestinal passage through the preoperative use of Movicol. Hypothesis The use of Movicol® during one week prior to partial liver resection combined with the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) programme accelerates functional recovery by promoting early return of gastro-intestinal function, defined as the passage of stools and early oral intake.

Acute liver failure (ALF) results from an abrupt loss of hepatic metabolic and synthetic function and leads to encephalopathy and potentially multi-organ dysfunction. Aetiologies include autoimmune and metabolic diseases, infectious agents and hepatotoxins. Worldwide, infectious hepatitis (A, B and E) is the most common cause. In Western Europe and the USA, ALF is most frequently caused by paracetamol intoxication. The MBT can produce immediate results to aid in decision making in patients with acute liver disease. Such a test may affect decision-making regarding transplantation in this setting, facilitate appropriate discharge from critical care to other hospital units and to home, provide point of care assessment of therapeutic interventions. The BreathID can potentially help in determining: Parameter to include patients in transplant list (the UNOS 1A group) Identification that patient deteriorates and needs extended hospitalization/referral to ICU/change in management An addition to the MELD and or other scores to estimate risk in other acute patients Additional information to that of other commonly utilized prognostic scoring systems The primary end-point of the study is to develop a model to predict deterioration of the liver disease, which incorporates measurements from the MBT along with other potential variables. The data collected will be used to develop a prediction model using data-mining methodology (linear and non-linear regression models, binary trees, neural networks, etc…). The predictive models may include measurements from the MBT, blood test results, as single measurements or as trend over time. The model that will be developed, will attempt to predict the disease deterioration vs. recovery accurately, at an earlier time point than the standard procedure. A threshold will then be determinate based on adequate sensitivity and specificity levels.

Chitinase and chitinase like proteins are members of the 18-glycosyl-hydrolase family. Several reports have linked the chitinase 3 like 1 protein with colitis, asthma and liver disease. This study aims to evaluate the correlation of chitinase 3 like 1 protein with clinical parameters such as disease severity, reaction to treatment, portal hypertension and prognosis.

Fifty patients awaiting liver transplantation and 50 age and gender matched control subjects with normal liver function will be included in the study. The aim of this project is to compare liver transplantation recipients'bone microarchitecture with healthy controls and to evaluate patients' changes within one year after transplantation