All clinical trials

Study wants to compare central corneal thickness (CCT) obtained through 3 different no-contact instruments and to compare them with contact ultrasound pachymetry, actually the gold standard technique.

Study the factors that explain Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) in patients with Alzheimer disease including: The influence of the environment (physical and human) on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL), The influence of non-drug and drug treatments on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL), The influence of formal and informal help mobilized, The influence of interactions "patient - caregiver" on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL), The influence of the ratio necessary cost on available resources on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL)

Aim: To identify HLA-A1101-restricted peptide epitopes derived from novel Oncoantigens (URLC10, KIF20A, and CDCA1) applicable for Cancer Vaccine in Singapore. Methods: The panel of candidate peptides are synthesized and tested for their ability to induce peptide-specific CTL responses, in order to screen the peptide epitopes applicable for the cancer vaccination. Briefly, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) derived from HLA-A1101(+) healthy donors are taken and cultured in the presence of the each candidate peptide with recombinant IL-2 for 2 weeks, and then, re-stimulated with dendritic cell pulsed with the peptide following another 2 week culture. Thereafter, CD8(+) T lymphocytes were negatively selected with CD4-magnetic beads from cultured lymphocytes and tested for their peptide specificity employing enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. These conditions are completely performed in in-vitro system. Importance in medicine: If one could identify the peptide epitopes from novel Oncoantigens, it is applicable for clinical trials of cancer vaccination. Benefits & Risks : There is no risk except for the matter of venipuncture in each individuals. The ideal target molecules for cancer vaccination are thought to be selectively expressed in tumor cells, but not in the normal cells, with high frequent and homogenous expression within tumor. We have proved that novel Oncoantigens, URLC10, KIF20A and CDCA1, have these characters as ideal target molecules for the cancer vaccination and are highly expressed in a variety of tumor type such as gastric, lung, and pancreas cancer. Since HLA-A1101 haplotype is most frequent in Singaporean, it is essential to indentify the HLA-A1101-restriced peptides derived from these Oncoantigens to develop cancer vaccination.

MicroRNAs are small molecules which have recently been discovered in cells. They are known to be responsible for the normal development of cells and when they are disrupted can contribute to the development of cancer. Many previous studies have been done evaluating the expression of microRNAs in normal tissues as well as a wide variety of cancers. Recently, microRNAs from tumor cells have been detected circulating in the blood of patients with cancer. This presents a novel opportunity to use microRNAs in the blood as an early predictor of cancer as well as a marker of response to therapy. No previous studies have been performed evaluating microRNAs in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid of patients with childhood cancers. We propose a feasibility study to evaluate the presence of microRNAs in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with central nervous system tumors, leukemia and lymphoma who are currently on chemotherapy and undergoing blood draws, lumbar punctures and/or reservoir taps for routine clinical care. If we're able to identify circulating microRNAs in this population of pediatric patients, we will build upon this data in proposing a future study.

The Antiphospholipid Syndrome is an immune disease where the presence of antibodies directed against cell membrane phospholipids (antiphospholipid antibodies) can cause an hypercoagulable state that causes thrombosis and obstetric complications (miscarriages, stillbirths). Since 1999 the Sapporo Criteria for Antiphospholipid Syndrome diagnosis includes the development of severe preeclampsia before 34 weeks of gestation, but this was done without solid evidence of a relation between the two. Our study will try to add information to this particular point.

Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) is evaluated in every echocardiographic examination either by visual estimation (eyeballing) requiring high level of training and expertise and/or by manual tracing of the endocard from which EF is calculated (manual biplane method (MBP)). This procedure is subjective and time consuming. The objective of this study is to compare the performance of LVivoEF software system to the measurements obtained by the routinely used methods.

Retinal function is highly dependent on the glucose supply. Thus, functional adaptations occur in response to both acute and long-term changes in glycaemia. The purpose of this study is to examine functional and metabolic aspects of retinal adaptation to long-lasting changes in glycaemic control in patients with diabetes. The adaptational phenomena will be characterized by electroretinography, dark adaptation, measures of retinal perfusion and oximetry as well as diabetic retinopathy grading and (OCT).

The aim of the study is to investigate whether a predictive score (combination of several validated predictors) better predicts postoperative left ventricular function than any single predictor in patients undergoing mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation. A single center, prospective cohort study

The Astra Tech Osseospeed Profile Implant design when placed in the healed extraction site maintains the marginal bone level

Orthodontic Treatment will affect the periodontal status of periodontally treated Aggressive Periodontitis patients.