Active clinical trials for "Liver Cirrhosis"

Although liver transplantation provide a option to cure patients suffering with decompensated liver cirrhosis this condition, lack of donors, postoperative complications, especially rejection, and high cost limit its application. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have been shown to replace hepatocytes in injured liver, effectively rescued experimental liver failure and contributed to liver regeneration, which suggest the novel and promising therapeutic strategy In this study, the safety and efficacy of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) transplantation for patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis will be evaluated.

This study evaluated the clinical response of the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin, compared with an antiviral treatment-free group in CHC patients with compensated LC. Additionally, this study evaluated the dosage reactivity and the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the combination therapy of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in CHC patients with compensated LC.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of high doses of both peginterferon-alfa 2a (360 ug per week) plus ribavirin (800 mg b.i.d.) in HIV-infected patients with compensated liver cirrhosis by HCV genotype 1 or 4 without previous virological response(*) to a standard dose treatment of both drugs. (*) Non previous virological response: no decrease of plasma RNA-HCV at least 2 log10 after 12 weeks in treatment or breakthrough viremia while on treatment. Additionally, this study will evaluated the influence of simultaneous peginterferon-alfa 2a and ribavirin plasma concentrations on early viral response (EVR) and sustained viral response (SVR) in these patients. Method: Pilot clinical trial, phase II-III, open labeled multicenter in which patients from several hospitals of the Servicio Andaluz de Salud will be enrolled. The usual clinical and analytical follow up will be performed but additional blood samples will be obtained for determination of interferon and ribavirin plasma levels. The primary end point will be a sustained virologic response (defined as an undetectable serum HCV-RNA after 24 weeks after the cessation of treatment). Likewise, rapid virological response (at 4 weeks of treatment), early virological response (at 12 weeks), and end of treatment response rates will be evaluated as well as their relationships with the plasma interferon an ribavirin concentrations determined by ELISA and HPLC, respectively. The safety and tolerability of the studied medications will be evaluated by means of clinical adverse events, physical examination and laboratory results. The evolution of liver fibrosis will be evaluated comparing the basal and end of treatment results of transient elastometry.

This is a phase 2 study of HPN-100 in subjects with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) consisting of an open label safety lead-in (Part A), followed by randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment (Part B).

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is the final destiny in chronic liver disease. Liver transplantation is the only effective therapy available to these patients. However, limited number of donors, post surgical complications, immunological rejection, and financial considerations are it's essential problems. The immuomodulatory impact of MSCs in fibrosis was confirmed, and several clinical studies have applied MSCs to eliminate the progression of fibrosis. In this research the investigators will study the affect of MSCs and Pioglitazone in the process of fibrosis.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether sapropterin (an oral analogue of tetrahydrobiopterin) could have a role in the treatment of portal hypertension secondary to liver cirrhosis. Sapropterin or placebo will be given for two weeks in patients with liver cirrhosis and clinically significant portal hypertension. Systemic and hepatic hemodynamics studies will be performed at baseline and after the intervention to assess the effect of sapropterin.

This study was aimed at testing the hypothesis that supplementing a meal with dark chocolate, which holds potent antioxidant properties, might attenuate the postprandial increase in the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG, clinical equivalent of portal pressure) in patients with cirrhosis

The goal of this study is to find an effective and well-tolerated medical therapy for itching due to liver disease. Persons with primary biliary cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis C are currently being enrolled in the study. Persons participating in the study are given sertraline, a medication which is also often used for depression,to treat their itching. The dose is gradually increased as the effect on itching and any other potential side effects are carefully monitored.

In order to determine the clinical application potential of adult stem cells we propose to investigate the safety and toxicity of infusing adult stem cells in the hepatic artery or portal vein of five patients with chronic liver insufficiency and to identify any clinical benefit if such occurs. Objectives: To assess safety and treatment related toxicities To determine clinical benefit or deterioration by monitoring changes in liver function

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the effects of ursodiol (ursodeoxycholic acid), with and without methotrexate, on pruritus, incapacitation index, and serum markers of activity and severity in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. II. Compare the effects of these regimens on the development of ascites, encephalopathy, varices (or bleeding from pre-existing varices), histologic liver changes, transplantation, and survival. III. Compare the toxicity and safety of each regimen.