Active clinical trials for "Scleroderma, Systemic"

This is a pilot study analyzing the effect of sildenafil therapy on digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis. We want to analyze ulcer healing by measuring the size of digital ulcers and their count and analyze the effect of sildenafil on angiography.

This is a research study of an investigational product called Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). The study is designed to establish the safety and potential benefit of MMF. MMF has proven one of the most effective medications to date for SLE and associated nephritis. It also appears to be active in polymyositis and dermatomyositis. This medication inhibits inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, the rate-limiting enzyme in synthesis of guanosine nucleotides. It blocks the type II isoform found in activated lymphocytes more potently than the type I isoform inhibiting both T- and B-lymphocytes. In SSc, MMF has been tried after anti-thymocyte globulin in one small open label study with efficacy with a significant improvement in skin score. We will test the safety and efficacy of MMF in SSc. All study patients will receive the study medication. The effect of the study medication will be examined in two subgroups of patients: those with early or progressive skin disease (skin substudy) and those with muscle disease (muscle substudy). The change in modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) and creatinine phosphokinase (CK) for, respectively, the skin and muscle substudies at 6 months after treatment will be compared to baseline values.

Raynaud's phenomenon is thought to occur when, in response to cold or emotional stress, there is closure of the digital arteries and cutaneous arterioles leading to the clinical finding of sharp demarcated digital pallor and cyanosis of the distal skin of the fingers and/or toes. Patients often continue to experience problems despite current available treatment. The investigators' study will investigate the use of a new vasodilator called Fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor. The investigators' hypothesis is that Fasudil will prevent vasoconstriction of digital and cutaneous arteries during a standard laboratory based cold exposure and will therefore improve digital blood flow and skin temperature recovery time following cold challenge. These data will provide the rationale for a more elaborate clinical trials in real life situations.

This study will asses the long term safety and efficacy of oral bosentan to patients suffering from Interstitial Lung Disease.

Researchers from the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) are conducting a study to evaluate whether mycophenolate mofetil (an immunosuppressive medication, trade named CellCept) is safe and effective for preventing the lung damage from scleroderma from getting worse.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-center study will carry out to assess the efficacy of GB-0998 in the treatment of the systemic sclerosis based on the changes in modified Rodnan total skin thickness score (TSS) as primary endopoint, and in addition, to assess the safety of GB-0998.

Scleroderma is a systemic disorder categorized as an immunologically mediated disease that causes collagen deposition of skin and visceral organs. The molecular pathogenesis of scleroderma has been elusive, although vasculopathy and immune mediated mechanisms are thought to be important. Once extensive cutaneous or visceral disease occurs, prognosis is significantly shorter than the general population. Although various treatments have been tried, none of them seems to have changed the natural history of scleroderma. Standard dose immunosuppressive treatment has been disappointing. Recently, cyclophosphamide at 1-2 mg/kg/day orally or 800-1400 mg intravenous (IV) monthly for 6-9 months has proven effective in treatment of scleroderma alveolitis (1). Recent phase I studies of immunoablation with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) showed some promising data, but the exact efficacy is undetermined (2,3). We now propose, as a phase II randomized study, autologous unmanipulated PBSCT versus pulse cyclophosphamide in patients with systemic scleroderma.

A six-month clinical research trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an investigational medication for the treatment of dry eye syndrome in patients that have been diagnosed with moderate to severe dry eye syndrome, an autoimmune disorder AND/OR females 65 years of age or older.

This study will examine the effectiveness of two psychological treatment approaches designed to help people who have scleroderma with three important areas of daily living: pain, depression, and distress about changes in appearance. The study will also evaluate the impact of depression on the two psychological treatments. Because psychological approaches requiring a trained professional can be expensive and are often not available to most patients, this study will also look at the effectiveness of a self-help treatment approach.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an uncommon chronic rheumatic disease with an unknown cause and unpredictable course. The inability, in addition to easy fatigability, starts a vicious circle that leads to a fast deterioration of physical conditions that cause a reduction of aerobic exercise capacity and, consequently, of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Aerobic exercise has already been shown to be safe and effective in improving exercise capacity and HRQoL of patients with chronic cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. However, few studies have evaluated the role of specific exercise programs on the muscular impairment in SSc. Nevertheless, the results obtained in preliminary reports are promising, and, for these reasons, the management of muscular impairment in SSc could include an appropriate rehabilitation program besides pharmaceutical and surgical treatments. The primary aim of this study will be to evaluate the effect of an individualized exercise program performed at home on aerobic capacity evaluated by 6 minutes walking test. Secondary aims will be to evaluate: 1- VO2max, measured by cardiopulmonary test; 2- the effect of the same program on the muscular strength of upper and lower limbs; 3- the efficacy of a self-administered stretching program for finger joint motion. Secondary aims will be also 1-to ascertain whether a comprehensive exercise program may affect, besides physical function, HRQoL; 2- and to evaluate the adherence during two periods of three months, one whit and one without supervision and reinforcement by a phone call. All the patients with a diagnosis of SSc, according to the criteria of American College of Rheumatology (ACR), who attended the Rheumatologic outpatient clinic of our institution will be evaluated in order to participate in the rehabilitation program. The pneumological examination and two days of screening and testing will take place at the outpatient's clinic of Respiratory Medicine and Sport of our institution.