Active clinical trials for "Takayasu Arteritis"

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a vasculitis of unknown origin, resulting in progressive thickening and stenosis of large and medium arteries (the aorta and its major branches, and the pulmonary arteries). First line therapy of TA consists of high dose corticosteroids (CS). Between 20 and 50% of cases respond to CS alone, with subsequent resolution of symptoms and stabilization of vascular abnormalities. Although second-line agents (methotrexate, azathioprine, mercaptopurine, mycophenolate mofetil) may result in initial remission, relapses remain common when prednisone is tapered. Thus, 50% of CS-resistant or relapsing TA patients may achieve sustained remission with the addition of methotrexate. During the last decade, biologics such as anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) and anti-interleukin-6 (anti-IL-6) have been used as third-line treatment in refractory or relapsing TA. Almost 90% of CS-methotrexate resistant TA cases responded to infliximab, an anti-TNFα, and sustained remission was obtained in 37 to 76% of the cases. Tocilizumab, an anti-IL-6 has given similar results with 68% of sustained remission in refractory TA. Irrespective of classical cardiovascular risk factors, the systemic inflammation and CS use play a pivotal role in the occurrence of cardiovascular thrombotic events (CVEs). As CVEs overlap with TA complications it is primordial to drastically taper CS in that vasculitis. We therefore hypothesize that Infliximab or Tocilizumab can achieve a remission in more than 70% of refractory/relapsing TA cases to CS associated to a second-line agent. INTOReTAK, first randomized prospective study in TA, has an original design testing Infliximab and Tocilizumab propensity to achieve over 70% of sustained remission in refractory/relapsing TA and evaluating jointly the 2 arms. The primary objective of this study is to obtain, by arm, ≥ 70% of patients at 6 months after randomization with prednisone ≤ 0.1mg/kg per day and inactive disease (NIH score ≤ 1) during the last 3 months.

Currently, the traditional disease activity of Takayasu arteritis is mainly based on National Institutes of Health criteria and the inactive cases don't need anti-inflammatory treatment. However, pathologic findings showed that there was still inflammatory activity in the affected vessels, and the follow-up data also found significant lesion progression in some inactive cases. Sixty inactive Takayasu arteritis patients will be recruited to determine whether these individuals are active by screening new inflammatory markers in this study. New inflammatory markers included tumor necrosis factor,interleukin-2,interleukin-6,interleukin-8,interleukin-10,high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and 18f-FDG positron emission tomograph. According to new inflammatory markers, sixty patients will be divided into two categories: inactive patients (n=20) and active patients (n=40). And then, Forty active patients diagnosed by new inflammatory markers will be randomly assigned to either anti-inflammatory therapy group or control group. The changes of inflammatory activity and lesion progression will be observed during one-year follow up in all 60 patients.

This pilot trial studies how well fluorine F 18 clofarabine positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) works in imaging patients with autoimmune or inflammatory diseases. Fluorine F 18 clofarabine is an imaging agent or tracer which may be taken up by inflammatory tissue in the body. Diagnostic imaging, such as PET/CT scans, can be used to measure the amount of injected tracer that is taken up by inflammatory tissue. PET/CT scan may help to determine how fluorine F 18 clofarabine is distributed throughout the body.

Clinical study of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy in patients with Takayasu arteritis. This study is single arm (anti Tumor necrosis factor therapy only) clinical trial. Enrolled patients will be 11

The general activity of Takayasu vasculitis is correlated with the perfusion rate of the carotid arterial wall. This can be quantified with ultrafast ultrasound imaging in sensitive Doppler sequence associated with the concomitant injection of microbubbles (SonoVue®). The hypothesis is that the carotid artery wall flow parameters obtained with ultrafast ultrasound imaging make possible to discriminate an active disease from an inactive disease because of the fibrous sequential arterial thickening. Thus, to improve the evaluation of Takayasu vasculitis activity and to refine the criteria for response to the various immunomodulatory treatments used.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether there is prompt engraftment after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation using filgrastim (G-CSF) mobilization in patients with life threatening autoimmune diseases. II. Determine the kinetics of T- and B-cell immune reconstitution after a combination of timed plasmapheresis, high dose cyclophosphamide and total lymphoid irradiation, and posttransplant immunosuppression with cyclosporine in these patients. III. Determine whether this treatment regimen beneficially influences the clinical course of these patients.

Exercise may improve physical capacity and health parameters in Primary Syndrome´s Sjogren, Myositis and Takayasu's Arteritis. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role of an exercise training program in patients with Primary Syndrome´s Sjogren, Myositis and Takayasu's Arteritis.

Assessing disease activity in people with Takayasu's arteritis is difficult, as most people with the disease do not exhibit visible, measurable symptoms. Combination positron emission tomography/computed axial tomography (PET/CT) is a particularly sensitive, accurate scanning method that may improve researchers' ability to evaluate people with the disease. This study will determine the effectiveness of PET/CT in assessing disease activity in people with Takayasu's arteritis.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical manifestations, imaging features, and prognosis-related factors of pulmonary artery (PA) involvement in Takayasu's arteritis (TA), and to explore the early clinical features of PA involvement in TA patients.

This case control study aims to determine whether spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is associated with autoimmune diseases and to update the incidence of SCAD in a population-based cohort.