Active clinical trials for "Liver Diseases"

For HIV-infected patients who have access to treatment, liver diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Hepatitis C is the most frequently encountered liver condition in this population. Both diseases allow a higher level of poisonous substances (toxins) normally produced by the bacteria present in the gut to enter the bloodstream. This leads to a chronic inflammatory state, which results in faster development of liver scars (fibrosis) and ultimately, end stage disease (cirrhosis). To prevent this from happening, the use of antibiotics has been attempted to reduce the quantity of gut flora in the hopes of lowering the amount of toxins produced. These trials have shown promising results, but the antibiotics studied had major side effects and were not designed for continuous use. Rifaximin is a non absorbable antibiotic with very few side effects. It is already used for long periods of time in cirrhotic patients to treat the effects of cirrhosis on the brain (encephalopathy). This project will try to determine if rifaximin, by reducing the level of toxins produced by the bacteria in the gut, can improve the evolution of liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients with hepatitis C. In this pilot study, ten patients with HIV and HCV infection will be followed for one year. In addition, 10 patients with HCV mono infection will also be followed. Both populations will be included if they are starting on rifaximin, for its currently approved FDA indication (hepatic encephalopathy).

HBV related Liver disease is a common medical problem in China. An estimated 7.18% of the Chinese (about 93 million) is infected with hepatitis B, and most of the HBV- related hepatitis can developed into liver cirrhosis. Liver transplantation is the only available life saving treatment for patients with end stage liver disease. However, lack of donors, surgical complications, rejection, and high cost are serious problems. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess plasticity and have the potential to differentiate into hepatocyte; Thus, MSCs hold great hope for therapeutic applications. Human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUC-MSCs) exhibit a more beneficial immunogenic profile and greater overall immunosuppressive potential than aged bone marrow-derived MSCs. Like MSCs derived from bone marrow, hUC-MSCs can also be used to treat rat liver fibrosis and improve glucose homeostasis in rats with liver cirrhosis. In this study, the patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis will undergo administration of hUC-MSCs via hepatic artery to evaluate the safety and efficacy of hUC-MSC treatment for these patients.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is currently the most effective method for end-stage liver diseases. However, the critical shortage of donor organs, high cost, and the problem of immune rejection limit its clinical application, and even some patients on the waiting list will never survive to receive a matched liver. Stem cell transplantation instead of conventional medical therapy or orthotopic liver transplantation will be a promising alternate approach to regenerate damaged hepatic mass. Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are generally thought of as an autologous source of regenerative cells in previous studies.In this study, the safety and efficacy of menstrual blood-derived stem cells transplantation for patients with liver cirrhosis will be evaluated.

The first line approach to NAFLD is currently based on diet and lifestyle modification. Aim of our Unit is to compare the efficacy of two different doses of metformin (1 g/day and 2 g/day) with atorvastatin (20 mg/day) on amelioration of inflammatory and cardiometabolic parameters, ultrasound signs and clinical scores associated with liver fibrosis in early-stage NAFLD non-diabetic patients.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a spectrum of disorders characterized by predominantly macrovesicular hepatic steatosis occurring in individuals in the absence of significant alcohol consumption. In this context it is possible to distinguish a condition of simple fatty liver, where the only histologic finding is the presence of steatosis, from a state of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), characterized by hepatocellular injury/inflammation with or without fibrosis. The prevalence of NAFLD is around 20-30% in the general population. With a rapid increase in the risk factors for metabolic syndrome, NAFLD has become the most common cause of liver disease in Western countries. The clinical relevance of NAFLD arises from the fact that a considerable proportion of subjects (20-30%) develop NASH, and this condition can progress to cirrhosis in up to 15% of patients. In addition NAFLD, and particularly NASH, represents a cardiovascular risk factor, independent of other well-known conditions contributing to heart and vascular diseases. Lifestyle modification is the effective medical treatment recommended for NASH, while there is currently no pharmacologic therapy of proven benefit in these patients. Several pilot studies, using insulin sensitizers (thiazolidinediones or metformin), and antioxidants, like vitamin E, have provided inconclusive evidence that these drugs may improve clinical and histological features of NASH. In the complex and not completely understood pathogenic puzzle of NAFLD and NASH, also vitamin D might have an important role. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with many common pathological conditions frequently observed in NAFLD, like cardiovascular disease, and insulin resistance. A recent paper by Targher and colleagues showed low vitamin D serum levels in NAFLD patients, identifying an inverse relation between vitamin D levels and the severity of liver disease. In keeping with the above data, recent experimental evidence also suggested the potential ability of vitamin D, through interaction with its nuclear receptor (vitamin D receptor - VDR), to interfere with inflammatory response, T cell function and fibrogenesis. Therefore considering the link between vitamin D serum levels, severity of NAFLD, and risk factors for NAFLD, we speculate that vitamin D might represent a new therapeutic target in the management of NASH patients.

HBV related Liver disease is a common medical problem in China. An estimated 7.18% of the Chinese (about 93 million) is infected with hepatitis B, and most of the HBV- related hepatitis can developed into liver cirrhosis. Liver transplantation is the only available life saving treatment for patients with end stage liver disease. However, lack of donors, surgical complications, rejection, and high cost are serious problems. stem cells(SCs) possess plasticity and have the potential to differentiate into hepatocyte; Thus, SCs hold great hope for therapeutic applications. Adult bone marrow is the most common source of SCs for clinical applications.Previous study showed that bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSCs) replace hepatocytes in injured liver, and effectively rescue experimental liver failure and contribute to liver regeneration. In this study, the patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis will undergo administration of human autologous BMSCs via hepatic artery to evaluate the safty and efficacy of human autologous BMSCs treatment for these patients.

Nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis (NASH) is defined as the amount greater than 5% of the total liver volume fat. Commonly known as NASH, it includes 4 stages histological ranging from the mere presence of fat to the existence of fibrosis and degeneration of hepatocytes, and finally a progression to cirrhosis, sometimes accompanied by complications of hepatocellular carcinoma. It is a common condition associated with a combination of disorders, namely obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The link with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) was mainly studied in the adult population and very little in the paediatric population, while 15 and 25% of obese children are affectés. The severity of histological disease appears to be associated with the degree of obesity in children and particularly in the MetS. in addition, epidemiological data indicate that the incidence of this disease is increasing in children and positioning as the first NASH liver disease in North America. the revelation of the factors associated with the occurrence of NASH is a first necessary step to understanding this disorder worrying for the future of children and adolescents. In addition, clarification of the mechanisms responsible for its development is essential if the investigators want to consider targeted and effective treatments to slow the rat race of NASH, which stands out as the supreme chronic liver accompanying the obesity and MetS. Finally, in view of growth and puberty of children, it would be extremely beneficial to find nutritional avenues that would avoid the side effects of chemical agents.

The aim of this current study was to assess the therapeutic effects of perindopril and telmisartan for hypertensive patients with NAFLD and make comparison between the therapeutic effects of these two kind of drugs. This study is a randomized parallel control clinical trial which would be carried out in Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University. About one hundred and eighty patients would be randomly assigned to perindopril,telmisartan and amlodipine three groups.

Sarcopenia is now a well-known complication of cirrhosis and various studies, including pediatric studies, have recognized it as a poor prognostic factor. At the molecular level, branch chain amino acids upregulate muscle protein synthesis by acting through the mTOR pathway. Although effect of Branch Chain Amino acids has been studied extensively with respect to hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic adults, there is paucity of literature on the effect of BCAA on sarcopenia and frailty. Also, there is very limited data on the effect of BCAA therapy in children with chronic liver disease. Through this study, we aim to assess the effect of BCAA therapy on Mid Arm Muscle Area in cirrhotic children after 12 weeks. Our secondary objective will be to study the prevalence of sarcopenia in children with CLD using cut-off as Mid Arm Muscle area less than 2SD (using published centiles) and muscle thickness (quadriceps and biceps) on ultrasound, and to study serum follistatin levels in those with or without sarcopenia. Other secondary objectives will include determination of mTOR gene expression at baseline and 7 days of BCAA therapy and change in creatinine height index after 12 weeks of BCAA therapy, occurrence of clinically significant events in the BCAA group vs placebo group and to study the increase in MAMA and USG muscle thickness after 6 months of BCAA therapy.

Randomized, single-blind, trial to determine whether a high-protein, low calorie diet is more effective than a control low calorie diet in improving the metabolic and histologic abnormalities in patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease undergoing bariatric surgery.