All clinical trials

The goal of this project is to get more insight into the (neuro)ophthalmological characteristics of children with neurofibromatosis type 1. This way investigators would like to update the current guidelines for follow up and treatment of optic pathway gliomas. Clinical findings will be compared with the results of Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

The investigators hypothesis: Presence of anti-GGT (antibody against GGT) indicates H. pylori infection.

Diagnostic accuracy of biomarker testing (galactomannan (GM), (1

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of rapid scale-up of new hepatitis C (HCV) treatments, known as interferon-free Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) drugs, and impact on the proportion of people with HCV within the HIV-HCV coinfected population of Australia. It is hypothesised that a rapid scale-up of hepatitis C treatment with interferon-free therapies in individuals with HIV-HCV coinfection will assist in controlling HCV infection in this population.

The investigators study the VEGF signaling in ECC cell lines,patients and its mechanism in ECC growth, proliferation and apoptosis.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a rare multisystem disorder of autosomal recessive inheritance (OMIM# 264800) and an estimated prevalence between 1:25.000 and 1:100.000. PXE is characterized by calcification and fragmentation of connective tissue rich in elastic fibers. Due to its high content of elastic fibers, Bruch Membrane in eyes of patients affected by PXE becomes thickened and calcified. The ocular phenotype is characterized by angioid streaks and peau d'orange but also choroidal neovascularizations and chorioretinal atrophy thereby in part mimicking the phenotype of age-related macular degeneration. The disease is due to mutations of the ABCC6-gene coding for a transmembrane protein which is mainly expressed in the liver and kidney. It is hypothesized that ABCC6 is involved in the excretion of a yet unknown factor from the liver which inhibits systemic calcification. In animal models several candidates for this factor have been identified but direct evidence for such a factor in patients with PXE is still missing. The primary purpose of this study is to further investigate the ocular phenotype of patients with PXE using multimodal imaging and functional testing to delineate the impact of Bruch membrane pathology on the eye. Furthermore, possible systemic anti-calcification factors, as well as associations with the vascular alterations are investigated to gain more insights into the pathogenesis of PXE..

Left heart disease is the main cause of pulmonary hypertension. With the advent of the aging society, chronic heart failure has become a global public health problem. Therefore the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension due to the left heart disease is increasing. However, there is no research on the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension due to the left heart disease in China. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe real-world outcome of Chinese patients with pulmonary hypertension due to the left heart disease and identify factors that may predict outcome. Our study will profile the demographics, clinical course, treatments, and outcomes of pulmonary hypertension due to the left heart disease in China.

Our study is a prospective multicenter research and the aim is to explore a variety of suitable evaluation indicators and criteria for diagnosis of diffuse liver fibrosis, to get the corresponding diagnosis threshold, with the domestic common pathological S stages as the gold standard.

Food allergy (FA) derives from a dysregulation of oral tolerance mechanisms. Studies suggest a crucial role for enteric microflora in oral tolerance development. An altered composition of intestinal microflora results in an unbalanced local and systemic immune response to food allergens. There are qualitative and quantitative differences in gut microbiota composition in children with food allergy. These findings support the concept that specific beneficial bacteria from human intestinal microflora, designated probiotics, could restore intestinal microflora homeostasis and prevent or treat FA.

Dental erosions, the chemical dissolution of enamel without bacterial involvement, are considered to be an established complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by the Montreal global consensus statement. Given the high prevalence of dental erosions and the absence of any pH-impedance data or medical management guidelines for GERD-associated dental erosions, reflux characteristics will be characterized using questionnaires, endoscopy and esophageal pH-impedance testing, in successive patients dental erosions referred by dentists for evaluation of GERD. For assessment of the role of additional factors besides H+ activity in the refluxate, a sample of gastric juice will be aspirated during endoscopy and frozen for analysis of pepsin and other proteases. Prognostic factors for progression of dental erosions will be determined by repeating the evaluation after chronic dosing with esomeprazole 20mg twice-daily, which is prescribed to all patients.