
REalWorld Insights on the INitiation and Treatment Duration of ticagrEloR & Other Oral Antiplatelets...
Treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS).REWINDER is a multinational, multicentre, non-interventional, retrospective study of patients treated with an oral antiplatelet (ticagrelor, prasugrel or clopidogrel) while in hospital after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event, to be conducted in Belgium and Luxembourg. Primary objective is to evaluate the actual treatment persistence with oral antiplatelets (OAP) after an ACS in the clinical practice in Belgium and Luxembourg. The main secondary objectives are to describe the most frequent reasons for OAP treatment switch, discontinuation or reinitiation; to identify the decisionmakers in the OAP treatment changes and to characterize the patient profile in terms of demographics, diagnosis, management strategies, comorbidities and concomitant medications to identify any association between patient profile and treatment duration.

Development of Non-invasive Prenatal Test for Microdeletion and Other Genetic Syndromes Based on...
Microdeletion SyndromesTrisomy 213 moreThe purpose of this study is to collect blood from families with a child who has been diagnosed with a chromosomal disorder including microdeletions in order to further develop a non-invasive prenatal screening test based on fetal DNA isolated from maternal blood.

Gut Peptides and Intestinal Permeability in Celiac Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Celiac DiseaseIrritable Bowel SyndromeIt is well known that the intestinal barrier is altered in celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune disease that develops in genetically predisposed subjects exposed to ingestion of wheat gliadin and of related prolamines of barley and rye. More recently, defective epithelial barrier has been implicated in the pathogenesis of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). At present IBS is still considered a functional condition although low-grade inflammation has been associated with its manifestation, particularly that following infection. Different substances have been implicated in the (dis)regulation of intestinal barrier, among them zonulin seems to play a key role. Other gastrointestinal peptides are GPL-2, Ghrelin, and Epidermal growth factor (EGF). In order to shed light on the hormonal regulation of intestinal barrier function in celiac patients before undergoing a gluten free diet and possible differences with those of IBS patients, in the present study the investigators will apply the non-invasive lactulose/mannitol permeability test toward the evaluation of intestinal damage. The pattern of intestinal permeability and the GI peptides concentration will be compared in celiac patients, IBS patients and healthy controls.

Prediction and Pathogenesis of the Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome
Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory SyndromeOpportunistic InfectionsThe objective of this project is to determine clinical and biological predictors of Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) occurrence in HIV infected patients who are started on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and to obtain more insight into the pathogenesis of this syndrome. The investigators will prospectively study HIV infected patients in Sub Saharan Africa who will be initiated on ART and are at risk to develop IRIS in all its different appearances. In these patients, the investigators will assess the value of clinical features and plasma biomarkers to predict IRIS, and the investigators will obtain insight into which inflammatory pathways become activated during IRIS. This project will provide novel knowledge about this clinically highly relevant healthcare problem in a resource poor setting, namely in Lambaréné, Gabon, in the Central African rainforest belt. In Gabon little research has been done in the field of HIV. The epidemiological pattern of IRIS in Gabon will be described. Promising putative plasma biomarkers will be validated for their use in daily practice.

Molecular Screening for Lynch Syndrome in Southern Denmark
Colorectal CancerLynch Syndrome1 moreA clinically applicably strategy for molecular screening for Lynch Syndrome has been implemented in the Region of Southern Denmark. Based on sequential analysis with immunohistochemistry and methylation analysis, patients with possible hereditary colorectal cancer are identified. These patients are offered genetic risk assessment and counselling. The study hypothesis is that molecular screening will identify more patients with Lynch Syndrome than the family history alone. Prospective data collection is performed using established clinical databases.

Magnetic Resonance (MR) Enterography Assessment of Post Operative Small Bowel Length in Short Bowel...
Short Bowel SyndromeIt is essential to know intestinal length and anastomotic type in post-operative short bowel syndrome patients. These parameters can help predict long-term intestinal failure with long-term parenteral nutrition usually needed for smallest lengths. Sometimes these parameters are unfortunately missing for lack of intraoperative measurement. Thus, it is necessary to develop non-invasive and reproducible techniques to assess small bowel length. This is the reason why the investigators will evaluate magnetic resonance (MR)-enterography and barium follow-through in this indication. There are at this time only two small studies evaluating barium follow-through for intestinal length measurement, and none evaluating MR-enterography. However, a major advantage of the latter is the lack of radiation exposure and possibility to perform 3D. This will be an open labelled single center crossover study. Short bowel syndrome patients of the investigators center will be included after consent. The sequence of exams (MR enterography followed by barium follow-through or vice-versa) will be randomly assigned. Peroperative short bowel length measurement will be available for all patients. There will be one month between the two exams. The main objective of this study is to assess the performance of MR-enterography in short bowel measurement in short bowel syndrome patients, the gold standard being peroperative length. Secondary objectives are to assess the performance of barium follow-through in short bowel measurement in these patients, and to show that barium follow-through does not perform better than MR-enterography. For that purpose the investigators will include 50 patients over 2 years.

Mechanisms of Mitochondrial Defects in Gulf War Syndrome
Gulf War SyndromeMitochondrial DiseaseThe purpose of the study is to investigate possible causes for Gulf War Syndrome. Gulf War Syndrome is associated with increased incidences of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease), pain syndromes, muscle complaints that include fatigue and myalgias (muscle pain), as well as other neurological symptoms. Abnormalities in the part of the cell known as mitochondria have been delineated in Gulf War Syndrome. Mitochondria are the "power plants" of the body. Mitochondria take the food you eat and break the food down into a form of energy that the body can use. The investigators propose that Gulf War Syndrome is determined by a complex interaction of factors that interfere with mitochondrial function. This study will be the first investigation of mitochondrial function in Gulf War Syndrome. The investigators objective is to establish the cause for symptoms in affected veterans, develop testing that can more easily identify Gulf War Syndrome, and ultimately develop treatment protocols for Gulf War Syndrome.

Comparison Between the New Highly Sensitive Troponin T and the Conventional Troponin T Test in Elderly...
Acute Coronary SyndromeThe planned cohort study shall clarify whether the use of biomarkers leads to improved diagnostic assessment of elderly patients. The study will evaluate the clinical value of biomarkers (highly sensitive Troponin T, Troponin T of the 4th generation) in elderly patients. These biomarkers are analyzed together with the symptoms and other parameters collected at admission. The diagnosis of myocardial infarction could be made earlier and more accurately with the help of biomarkers, in particular the highly sensitive troponin T.

Plasma Adiponectin Level and Vascular Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cell Function in Children With...
Prader-Willi SyndromeObesityContext: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder characterized by childhood-onset obesity and endocrine dysfunction that leads to cardiovascular disability and early death within the first 3 decades of life. Objectives: To assess the significance of risk factors for future disabilities, carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured and correlated with known atherosclerotic risk factors in 27 children with PWS and 24 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-adjusted controls.

Genetic Contribution of Pain and Inflammation in IBS
Irritable Bowel SyndromeThe goal of the study is to identify possible polymorphisms on the loci of candidate genes that may be involved in modulation of pain and inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome.