Active clinical trials for "Vasculitis"

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether abatacept can prevent relapse in patients with ANCA associated vasculitis(AAV). This is a randomised double blinded placebo controlled trial.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis is the most common type of small blood vessel inflammation in adults. ANCA-associated vasculitis includes Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Rituximab is a man-made antibody used to treat certain types of cancer. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of rituximab in treating patients with WG and MPA. Study hypothesis: Rituximab is not inferior to conventional therapy in its ability to induce disease remission by Month 6.

The purpose of this protocol is to continue to treat patients with Wegener's granulomatosis who have already entered the study, and to treat new patients. The investigators will attempt to correlate the clinical response with specific immunosuppressive effects of drug administration. The investigators are accumulating data on the optimal duration and side effects of therapy.

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of prednisone and methotrexate in treating severe Wegener's granulomatosis and other systemic vasculitides. These diseases involve inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) that may affect the brain, nerves, eyes, sinuses, lungs, kidneys, intestinal tract, skin, joints, heart and other sites. Current treatment with prednisone and the anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide is effective, but has significant side effects and a high rate of disease recurrence. In a small number of patients with vasculitis, prednisone and methotrexate, another anti-cancer drug, have led to marked improvement, with fewer side effects than are seen with cyclophosphamide. This study will evaluate this drug combination in a larger patient population. Patients 10 to 80 years of age with active Wegener's granulomatosis, polyarteritis nodosa, Churg-Strauss vasculitis, or microscopic polyangiitis overlap may be eligible for this 2 1/2 to 3-year study. In addition, patients with glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney disease) and a positive blood test for C-ANCA (antibodies found in certain vasculitic kidney diseases) or inflammatory sinusitis or lung nodule or infiltrates in the absence of infection may also be enrolled. Participants will take prednisone daily, by mouth, and low-dose methotrexate weekly, by mouth or by injection either under the skin, into a muscle or into a vein. Patients who significantly improve with treatment will gradually reduce, and eventually stop, the prednisone. If the remission lasts, methotrexate will also be reduced and stopped after 2 1/2 years. If active disease recurs, the original treatment program may be started again. Patients who never achieve complete remission with treatment but whose symptoms are well controlled and experience no serious side effects may choose to either continue low-dose methotrexate or stop therapy. Patients will be hospitalized 4 to 6 times a year, about 2 to 8 days each time, depending on their disease severity and response to illness. In addition, they will have the following tests and procedures: Medical history and physical examination (upon admission to the study and then every 1 to 3 months). Blood tests for blood cell counts and for levels of enzymes that indicate liver damage (upon admission, then weekly, and finally, no less than monthly). Additional blood tests to measure blood chemistries and evaluate kidney function (upon admission and again when clinically indicated). Chest X-rays (upon admission and when clinically indicated). Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (as needed). Electrocardiogram (upon admission and then as clinically indicated). Lung function studies (upon admission and at least every 6 months or as clinically indicated). Ear, nose and throat evaluations (as clinically indicated). Liver biopsy, if blood tests to monitor liver function are persistently abnormal. This procedure is done in the hospital under sedation to induce relaxation and drowsiness. The skin over the liver (upper right abdomen) is numbed with a local anesthetic and a needle is passed rapidly in and out of the liver to collect a small tissue sample for microscopic examination.

Microscopic polyangiitis (MP) is a primary systemic vasculitis predominantly affecting small blood vessels. Following the widespread introduction of ANCA testing, the primary systemic vasculitis (SV), Wegener?s granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyangiitis (MP) appear to be more frequent than was previously thought (see definitions in Appendix 6). In addition, the existence of early and organ-limited forms of these diseases, such as renal-limited vasculitis (RLV) is now clearly recognized. Their annual incidence exceeds 20 per million per year and they account for at least 5 % of the causes of end stage renal failure. The two diseases share many features of their histology, serology and response to treatment, pointing to similarities in their pathogenesis, which have justified a common approach to their management. The standard treatment with corticosteroids (CS) and cyclophosphamide (CYC) is usually effective at controlling active disease but continued treatment is necessary to prevent disease relapse. Due to the cumulative toxicity associated with CYC treatment, alternatives have been looked for. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has been used to treat patients with a variety of immune-mediated nephritides, including ANCA-associated vasculitis, with less toxicity than CYC but with variable outcome. The present trial will examine whether substitution of oral CYC with oral MMF is equally efficient for induction of remission with less adverse effects in cases of MP with mild to moderate renal involvement. All patients will receive the same regimen of oral prednisone + MMF. Prednisone will be tapered to a stop after 24 weeks but MMF will continue for a total of 18 months unless there is worsening or persistent disease. The trial ends after 18 months.

This study will determine the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (trade name Ramipril) therapy on inflammation and stiffness of artery walls. These are two risk factors for developing atherosclerosis-deposits of fatty substances called plaques that can block the blood vessel, causing a heart attack or stroke. Studies of patients with coronary artery disease suggest that ACE inhibitor therapy reduces the risk of heart attack and heart failure. This study will examine the effects of this treatment on the artery walls and on levels of substances in the blood that indicate blood vessel inflammation. Patients between 40 and 75 years old with coronary artery disease caused by atherosclerosis may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) examination, electrocardiogram and blood tests. Those enrolled will be randomly assigned to take either an ACE inhibitor pill or a placebo (look-alike pill with no medicine) once a day for 3 months. No pills will be taken for the next month, and then participants will take the alternate pill for the next 3 months. That is, those who took ACE inhibitor for the first 3-month period will take placebo for the second 3-month period and vice versa. Blood pressures will be taken at the NIH Clinical Center or by the patient's physician at the end of the first and second weeks of the study. At the end of 3 weeks, patients will return to the Clinical Center for a blood draw of 6 cc (1/2 teaspoon) to assess kidney function. In addition, at the end of each 3-month study period, patients will undergo the following procedures at the Clinical Center: Fasting blood draw of 60 cc (2 ounces) to measure electrolytes (e.g., sodium and potassium) and blood markers for inflammation Ultrasound (use of sound waves to create pictures) study of the carotid arteries (arteries in the neck leading to the brain)-An ultrasound probe is applied gently on the neck, and ultrasound pictures of the right and left carotid arteries are recorded on tape. Heart activity and blood pressure are monitored during the procedure with an electrocardiogram and blood pressure cuff. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the carotid arteries-The patient lies on a table in a narrow cylinder (the MRI machine) containing a magnetic field. A flexible padded sensor called a MRI coil is placed over the neck area. Earplugs are placed in the ear to muffle the loud thumping sounds the machine makes when the magnetic fields are switched. During the second half of the exam, a contrast agent (gadolinium) is injected through an intravenous catheter (flexible tube placed in a vein) to brighten the images. The heart is monitored during the procedure with an electrocardiogram.

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of Rituximab (anti-CD20) in the treatment of patients with hepatitis C associated cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (HCV-CV) who have failed or are intolerant to interferon-alpha/ribavirin therapy. Up to 75 patients may be screened to enroll 34 adult patients with active HCV-CV in this randomized, non-blinded phase I/II trial. Patients will be randomized to receive either Rituximab 375 mg/M(2) on days 1, 8, 15 and 22 beginning at the time of enrollment or standard therapy. Patients in both groups will be maintained on stable doses of any immunosuppressive therapies that they were receiving at the time of enrollment. Response to Rituximab will be assessed by clinical and laboratory parameters. Although the cause of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis is not known, a critical component is the presence of cryoglobulins-abnormal proteins that white blood cells called B lymphocytes produce in response to the chronic hepatitis C infection. Rituximab decreases the number of B cells. The Food and Drug Administration approved Rituximab in 1997 for the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Patients between 18 and 75 years of age with hepatitis C and signs and symptoms of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis may be eligible for this study. They must have failed, or been unable to tolerate, treatment with IFN-a and ribavirin. Candidates will be screened with a history and physical examination, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood and urine tests, 24-hour urine collection and chest X-ray, if clinically indicated. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive Rituximab upon entering the study or 6 months after entering the study. Those whose treatment is delayed 6 months will be followed once a month at NIH for disease evaluation and blood tests during that time. Patients will be given Rituximab intravenously (through a vein) once a week for 4 weeks. For the first dose, patients will be admitted to the hospital for at least 24 hours after the infusion for monitoring. Subsequent infusions will be given on an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on how the infusion is tolerated. The day before each infusion they will have a history and physical examination, blood work, and other tests, such as X-rays, as clinically indicated. After the four infusions, patients will be followed for drug side effects and response to treatment. They will have blood tests every week for 4 weeks and will then return to NIH for 1 day every month for 12 months for a physical examination, blood tests, and X-rays, if medically indicated. Visits may be more frequent, if necessary, and patients may be asked to stay longer than a day if test findings requ...

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of the drug mycophenolate mofetil (MPM) in treating Wegener's granulomatosis and related inflammatory vessel diseases. Blood vessel inflammation in these patients may involve different parts of the body, including the brain, nerves, eyes, sinuses, lungs, kidneys, intestinal tract, skin, joints, heart, and other sites. The more severe the involvement, the more likely the disease will be life-threatening. Standard treatment consists of combination drug therapy with prednisone and a cytotoxic agent-usually cyclophosphamide or methotrexate. However, some patients in whom this treatment is initially successful have a disease relapse; other patients cannot take the medications because of other health problems or because of severe side effects of the drugs. MPM is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent kidney transplant rejection. It is chemically similar to another cytotoxic drug called azathioprine, which has been beneficial in maintaining remission in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis who have been treated successfully with cyclophosphamide. Because MPM is more effective than azathioprine in preventing organ rejection, it may also prove beneficial as a second-line treatment for Wegener's granulomatosis. Patients with Wegener's granulomatosis or related inflammatory vessel diseases who have had a relapse following treatment with cyclophosphamide and methotrexate or who cannot take one or both of these drugs may be eligible for this study. Only patients who have been treated at NIH in the methotrexate protocol or the cyclophosphamide switching to methotrexate protocol, or who have received the exact same treatment from their own physician may participate. Participants will have a complete medical evaluation including laboratory studies. Consultations, X-rays and biopsies of affected organs may also be done if indicated for diagnosis or treatment. Patients with active disease will be given MPM and prednisone, both in tablet form. Patients with inactive disease will receive only prednisone if they are already taking it. In both cases, the prednisone will be reduced gradually and discontinued if the disease improves significantly. MPM therapy will continue for at least 2 years. If after 2 years the disease remains in remission, the MPM dose will be gradually reduced and then stopped. If active disease recurs while on MPM therapy, the treatment plan will likely be changed. The new regimen will be determined by the severity of disease, other medical conditions, and history of side effects to previous medications. Patients will be followed at the NIH clinic every month for the first 3 months on MPM and then every 3 months for another 18 months. Those whose disease has remained in remission and have stopped all medications will then be followed every 6 months for 4 visits. The follow-up visits will include a physical examination, blood draws, and, if needed, X-rays. Visits may be scheduled more frequently if medically indicated.

The purpose of this pilot study is to test whether an 8-week course of glucocorticoids, combined with rituximab, is effective in treating ANCA-associated vasculitis.

This is a single-center open label study to assess the efficacy and safety of single doses of canakinumab (trade name Ilaris®), a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that neutralizes IL-1β, in patients with active urticarial vasculitis. Efficacy is primarily assessed by a combined symptom score, the urticarial vasculitis activity score (UVAS). Following a baseline period of 2 weeks, patients will be dosed with two single s.c. injections of 150 mg (consistent with a total dose of 300 mg canakinumab). Visits for investigator's assessments will be scheduled at 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks post dose. Patient's self-assessment will be performed on a daily basis throughout the study. Overall a max. of 10 subjects with urticarial vasculitis will be enrolled.