Active clinical trials for "Lung Diseases, Obstructive"

To determine the effects in early adulthood of asthma, increased bronchial responsiveness, markers of allergy and smoking on pulmonary function level and the effects of these same risk factors on subsequent decline in pulmonary function, because these early adult factors presumably profoundly influence the risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

To test a conceptual model of how disability develops in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The goal of this research agenda is to improve the quality of end-of-life care by explicitly identifying values that will guide the decision-making process, with a particular emphasis on the role of ethnic, racial and cultural factors.

This is an observational study which aims to evaluate the possibility of using data from a capnography device to assess obstructive airway severity in both Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Asthma patients.

Scientific research focuses on "eosinophilic inflammation" as it seems to guide the therapeutic regimen in patients with asthma and COPD. The primary objective of this prospective trial is to evaluate which parameter(s) best reflects eosinophilic inflammation by correlating tissue eosinophils (endobronchial biopsy, protected specimen brush sampling) with FeNO, peripheral blood eosinophils, and eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage of patients with obstructive pulmonary disease.

The purpose of this study is to determine the MRI characteristics of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease subjects both at baseline and yearly for a period of 5 years, and to correlate these biomarkers with pulmonary function tests, CT scan, 6 Minute-walk tests, and respiratory questionnaires. The central hypothesis is that quantitative assessment of the lung through magnetic resonance imaging of hyperpolarized 3He can detect early alterations in structure and function which are precursors to clinically apparent COPD and that these precursors can be used to predict progression of disease earlier and better than established clinical methods. Novel assessments using 3He MRI will lead to new information about COPD and will be critical for characterizing disease response to therapy. A secondary hypothesis is that a variety of technical improvements in the techniques of hyperpolarized gas MRI will accelerate the translation of this relatively new modality to clinical use.

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) goes up during an acute exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) and whether the level of exhaled nitric oxide returns to normal in the weeks after an exacerbation.

The purpose of the study is to compare histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) expressions and activities in induced sputum macrophages obtained from patients with moderate to severe COPD and age-matched normal non-smokers

Exacerbations of the disease are a hallmark of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), affecting the decline of pulmonary function, quality of life and increasing morbidity. The use of validated biomarkers could help to identify the etiology of exacerbation and to prescribe antibiotherapy when indicated. The analysis of exhaled air allows measuring different volatile organic compounds (VOC) which reflect local or systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. The relationship between the presence of some of these compounds and the exacerbation of COPD has never been studied. The aim of this study is to identify a cluster of VOC in COPD patients during an acute exacerbation of the disease, compared to a stable condition (3 months after discharge). Investigators also will seek for a relationship between VOC and the etiology of exacerbation (bacterial, viral, inflammatory).

This is an observational study examining outcomes and treatment patterns in a community-based cohort of subjects with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are based in the Kannapolis, NC area.