Clinical Research Directory

Natural History and Genetics of Food Allergy and Related Conditions

Background: \- About 15 million Americans have a food allergy. Because there are no cures or effective prevention or treatment for food allergies, researchers want to learn more about them. Objective: \- To learn more about the causes and effects of food allergy and related conditions. Eligibility: * People ages 2 99 who have food allergy and/or a related genetic or other condition * Their relatives * Healthy relatives and volunteers Design: * Participants will have at least 3 visits over 1 2 years, and then once a year for up to 12 years. Each may last a day or longer. * Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, and questionnaires. * Participants may have the following: * Blood tests * Allergy skin prick tests: Drops of allergens are placed on the back or arm. The skin is scratched under each drop. * Leukapheresis: blood is taken from a needle in one arm, passed through a machine, and returned through a needle in the other arm. * X-rays * Esophageal string test: One end of a string is taped to the cheek and the other end is packed into a capsule. When the capsule is swallowed, the string unwinds; it is left in for at least 1 hour. * EGD and colonoscopy: Biopsies are taken from the gastrointestinal system. * Tiny biopsies of skin * Photographs of the body * Collection of cells through: * Swab of nose, inside of cheek, or skin * Gentle skin scrape * Tape stripping: piece of tape is put on the skin and pulled off.

Pathogenetic Basis of Aortopathy and Aortic Valve Disease

The main purpose of this study is to define the complex genetic and pathogenic basis of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and other forms of aortopathy and/or aortic valve disease by identifying novel disease-causing genes and by identifying important genetic modifiers for aortic and aortic valve disease severity.

National Network for Cardiovascular Genomics: Advancing Cardiovascular Healthcare for Hereditary Diseases in Brazil's Unified Health System Through a Multicenter Registry

The goal of this observational study is to develop a registry of Brazilian patients with hereditary cardiovascular diseases, combining clinical and genomic data. The main questions it aims to answer are: Which genes are most commonly affected? What is the frequency of these genetic alterations in our population? Participants will be interviewed in routine medical care visits and their DNA will be sequenced.

Complex Aortic Aneurysm Repair Using Physician Modified Endografts and Custom Made Devices

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of custom made devices, Zenith t-Branch devices and physician modification of FDA approved off-the-shelf endovascular grafts in the treatment of patients with complex abdominal aneurysms, aortoiliac aneurysms, thoracoabdominal aneurysms and aortic arch aneurysms who (1) have anatomy not suitable for endovascular repair using grafts currently marketed in the United States,(2) are deemed unsafe to wait the required time necessary for commercial endograft manufacturing, and (3) are at high risk for open surgical repair. Amendment to the study has created a cohort open to people with connective tissue diseases such as Marfan, Ehlers-Danlos or Loey-Dietz syndromes to enroll in the trial. An additional amendment to the study allows the use of a custom made device to treat an aneurysm in the aortic arch.

Proximal Aortopathy in Scotland - Epidemiology and Surgical Outcomes

The aorta is the principal arterial vessel arising from the left heart that transfers blood to the body. Certain genetic and familial disease processes are known to weaken the aortic wall resulting in dilation and potential rupture. These aortic complications carry high mortality (\>25%) and current management is orientated towards early detection and preventive treatment. Aortic dilation can also result in aortic valve dysfunction leading to heart failure. The estimated UK incidence of aortic disease per year is around 10 per 100,000 individuals, with 2000 people per year dying from aortic complications. The 2017-2020 National Adult Cardiac Surgery Audit report identified the number of people receiving surgery for aortic dissection in Scotland is per population proportionately lower compared to England (4.6 per million per year in Scotland vs. 6.6 per million per year in England). The reasons for this are unclear but may relate to the prevalence of aortic disease or a large geographic distribution with compromised access to specialized centres. Currently surgery is recommended when the aortic diameter exceeds a certain threshold. There are several types of effective surgical procedures, but there is still limited information on their long-term outcomes and the advantage of one procedure over another. The aims of the project are firstly to determine the clinical outcomes of the surgical procedures that are currently employed in Scotland to treat proximal aortic disease and secondly to describe the prevalence and distribution of proximal aortic disease within the Scottish population. The project will be hosted by the Golden Jubilee Research Institute. Contemporary and retrospective data will be collected from all the Scottish Cardiothoracic Surgery units which are based in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. This will be the first study to analyse surgical outcomes for ascending aortic disease in Scotland, and the first to describe the epidemiology of aortic disease within the population. It is anticipated that the results will guide current surgical practise, and provide data to inform national service provision for the management of proximal aortic disease.