Active clinical trials for "Renal Insufficiency"

The objective of this study is to determine whether paricalcitol is safe and effective compared to placebo in reducing elevated serum PTH levels in patients with chronic kidney disease.

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of renal (kidney) transplantation for HIV-infected patients with end-stage renal disease (kidney failure). Although kidney transplant is the best treatment for most causes of kidney failure, people infected with HIV are not offered this procedure because the immunosuppressive drugs (drugs that suppress immune function) required to prevent organ rejection could further impair the patient's already weakened immune system. This study will use a regimen of immunosuppressants designed to complement treatment for patients taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). HIV-infected patients between 18 and 60 years of age with renal failure who have not had any opportunistic infections for 5 years may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, and blood and urine tests. Before the transplant procedure, participants will undergo additional tests and procedures, including blood studies, 24-hour urine collection, infectious disease consultation, tuberculin skin test, PAP smear for women, chest X-ray, brain and hip MRI studies and DEXA-scan to evaluate bone density. In addition, patients may undergo leukapheresis to obtain white blood cells for study. For this procedure, whole blood is drawn through a needle in an arm vein and passed through a cell separator machine. The white cells are collected for removal, and the rest of the blood is returned to the body through the same needle or another needle in the other arm. When a donor organ becomes available for transplant, the patient will receive three anti-rejection drugs-cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone-to prevent organ rejection. Immediately after the surgery, HAART drugs will be stopped for 7 days until stable levels of the immune suppressants can be achieved. Then, HAART will be re-started and all medications will be adjusted to achieve adequate blood levels. Patients must stay in the local area 60 days after discharge from the hospital for monitoring. Frequent blood samples will be taken to monitor kidney function, viral load and CD4+ T cell counts. Follow-up visits will then be scheduled monthly for the first 6 months after transplant, then every other month for 1 year. Kidney biopsies will be done at the end of the first month, after 6 months, and yearly for 5 years. For the biopsy, a special needle is used to remove a small piece of kidney tissue for microscopic examination. The biopsies and blood tests are done to evaluate the immune response to the transplanted organ and to study how HAART interacts with the immune suppressing drugs.

The purpose of this study is to test how well lanthanum carbonate reduces the pre-dialysis level of serum phosphorus in subjects undergoing dialysis due to end stage renal disease and to determine the patient and physician's satisfaction.

Background:Plasma exchange has been suggested to be of theoretical benefit in the treatment of acute renal failure at the onset of multiple myeloma. Two small-randomized trials provide conflicting evidence. Objective: To assess the effect of 5 to 7 plasma exchanges in the treatment of acute renal failure at the onset of multiple myeloma. Design: Randomized controlled trial with 4 strata (chemotherapy and dialysis dependence) from 1998 to 2004. Setting: Hospital plasma exchange units in 14 major Canadian medical centers. Participants: 92 voluntary patients between the ages of 18 to 81 with acute renal failure at the onset of myeloma after volume repletion and hypercalcemia. Intervention: 5 to 7 plasma exchanges of 50 ml/Kgm of 5% Human Serum Albumin in first 10 days plus conventional therapy versus conventional therapy alone. Measurements: The primary outcome is a composite measure of death, dialysis dependence or Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study glomerular filtration rate (MDRD GFR) < 30mg/min/1.73 meter squared at 6 months.

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety of lanthanum carbonate in patients undergoing dialysis who have received lanthanum carbonate in the previous studies and wish to continue treatment.

Background: Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is associated with progressive loss of renal function and is one of the most important causes of renal failure in the elderly. Current treatment includes restoration of the renal arterial lumen by endovascular stent placement. However, this treatment only affects damage caused by ARAS due to the stenosis and ensuing post-stenotic ischemia. ARAS patients have severe general vascular disease. Atherosclerosis and hypertension can also damage the kidney parenchyma causing renal failure. Medical treatment focuses on the latter. Lipidlowering drugs (statins) could reduce renal failure progression and could reduce the overall high cardiovascular risk. The additional effect on preserving renal function of stent placement as compared to medical therapy alone is unknown. Therefore, the STAR-study aims to compare the effects of renal artery stent placement together with medication vs. medication alone on renal function in ARAS patients. Method: Patients with an ARAS of ≥50% and renal failure (creatinine (Cr) clearance <80 mL/min/1.73 m2) are randomly assigned to stent placement with medication or to medication alone. Medication consists of statins, anti-hypertensive drugs and antiplatelet therapy. Patients are followed for 2 yrs with extended follow-up to 5 yrs. The primary outcome of this study is a reduction in Cr clearance >20% compared to baseline. This trial will include 140 patients.

This is a study in hypertensive patients with mild to moderate renal impairment. The antihypertensive efficacy of olmesartan medoxomil is compared to losartan.

To show non-inferiority in the incidence rates of elevated calcium-phosphorus product between two treatment groups: 1) a group having an initial dose based on baseline PTH (baseline iPTH/80) and 2) a group having a starting dose based on body weight (0.04 mcg/kg).

This study will test the safety and effectiveness of two drugs, Sirolimus and Thymoglobulin, for preventing rejection of transplanted kidneys. Standard anti-rejection therapy uses a combination of drugs, such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus, azathioprine, steroids, and others, that are taken daily for life. However, even with this daily therapy, more than half of kidney recipients slowly reject their transplant within 10 years. Both Thymoglobulin, an antibody, and Sirolimus, an anti-rejection drug, prevent rejection by lowering the response of the immune system to the transplanted organ. Thymoglobulin is given in the pre- and postoperative period, and Sirolimus is taken long term. Patients who receive a kidney transplant at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center are eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, and blood and urine tests. Participants will undergo a kidney transplant. Before the surgery, a central line (intravenous catheter), through which blood and medicine can be given, is placed in the neck or chest. Patients may also undergo leukapheresis, a procedure for collecting white blood cells. The cells can be stored for transfusion later if white cell counts drop following Thymoglobulin treatment. For this procedure, blood is drawn from a needle placed in the arm and flows into a machine that separates the blood components by spinning. The white cells are collected in a bag and the red cells and plasma are returned through a second needle in the other arm. Thymoglobulin will be given intravenously the day before the transplant and days 1 through 9 after the operation. Sirolimus will be taken by mouth, mixed with water or orange juice. Sirolimus therapy starts the day of the transplant and continues for life. Follow-up study visits will be scheduled weekly for the first month after the transplant, then every 6 months for 1 year and then once a year for 4 years. Procedures during these visits may include blood and urine tests, physical examination, and check of vital signs (i.e., blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, temperature). Kidney biopsies (removal of a small piece of tissue for examination under the microscope) will be done at 2 weeks, 1 month and 6 months after surgery and then yearly for 4 years to check for any damage to the kidney. In addition, a local doctor will do routine laboratory tests 2 to 3 times a week for the first 2 to 3 months aft...

The main purpose of this study is to learn more about biomarkers of kidney function in the blood and urine of neuroblastoma survivors. A biomarker is a biological molecule found in blood, urine, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition.