T-helper 2 (Th2) Cytokine Responses in Overweight/Obese Subjects

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Cytokines are chemicals that are naturally made by your body. Certain cytokine levels are changed in the blood of patients who develop allergies and/or asthma. Cytokine levels may also be changed in some individuals who are overweight or obese. The purpose of this study is to determine if certain cytokine levels differ based on a person's weight and whether or not they have allergies or asthma. Information gathered in this study will be compared to information gathered from subjects who have participated in another similar study for patients who have allergies and/or asthma.

Detailed Description
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The aims of this study are to: Characterize the relationship between BMI and Th2 skewing in non-atopic adult subjects. Compare these results to those previously obtained from atopic adult subjects It is expected that the results of this study will demonstrate enhanced Th2 skewing in overweight and obese atopic subjects as compared to non-atopic subjects. It is further anticipated that the results of this study will be used as preliminary data to generate an NIH grant application exploring the link between obesity and atopy.

Official Title
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Th2 Cytokine Responses in Overweight/Obese Subjects

Conditions
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Overweight, Obesity

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: adults aged 18 to 50 years pre-bronchodilator FEV1 > 80% predicted with no evidence of reversibility following administration of bronchodilator no history of allergies Exclusion Criteria: medical history consistent with atopy and/or asthma any positive response to allergy skin testing for inhalant allergens (defined as a wheal > 3 mm larger than the negative control) a pre-bronchodilator FEV1 < 80% predicted > 12% reversibility in FEV1 following administration of a bronchodilator any history of significant chronic illness history of respiratory infection within the past 2 weeks any use of prescription medications other than oral contraceptives or thyroid hormone replacement within the past 2 months use of any investigational medication within the past month

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 50 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Normal BMI<br>Subjects with a BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 which is defined by the CDC as within normal range. | |
| Overweight BMI<br>Subjects with a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 are defined by the CDC as being overweight. | |
| Obese BMI<br>Subjects with a BMI of 30.0 and above are defined by the CDC as being obese. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Th2 Cytokine levels |  | Baseline (only visit) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Healthy