Clinical trials

The goal of this observational study is to compare objective parameters of skin barrier function between healthy adult women who regularly use UV lamps during nail treatments and women who do not use UV lamps. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Do women who regularly use UV lamps for nail treatments show differences in skin barrier function compared to women who do not use UV lamps? * Are transepidermal water loss, skin hydration, and erythema associated with regular exposure to UV lamps used for nail treatments? * Does the duration of UV lamp use influence skin barrier function parameters? Researchers will compare women who regularly use UV lamps during nail treatments with women who have natural nails and do not regularly expose their hands to UV lamps. Participants will: * Attend a single study visit. * Complete a short questionnaire regarding nail care habits and duration of UV lamp use. * Undergo non-invasive measurements of skin barrier function on the hands, including transepidermal water loss, skin hydration, and erythema assessments.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a topical cream containing Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum) extract in promoting skin barrier recovery and reducing signs of irritant contact dermatitis in healthy adult participants. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does topical application of Helichrysum italicum extract improve skin barrier recovery following experimentally induced irritant contact dermatitis? * Does the cream containing Helichrysum italicum extract reduce transepidermal water loss and erythema, and improve skin hydration compared to a standard moisturizing cream? * Is the topical application of Helichrysum italicum extract safe and well tolerated? Researchers will compare skin sites treated with a cream containing Helichrysum italicum extract, placebo-treated skin sites, and untreated skin sites to determine whether the addition of the extract provides additional benefits in skin barrier recovery. Participants will: * Undergo induction of irritant contact dermatitis using sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) under occlusion. * Apply a cream containing Helichrysum italicum extract to one designated skin site and a placebo cream to another designated skin site twice daily throughout the study period. * Have an additional SLS-treated skin site left untreated to assess natural skin barrier recovery. * Apply the cream containing Helichrysum italicum extract to a separate area of healthy, intact skin. * Attend daily study visits for non-invasive assessments of skin barrier function, including transepidermal water loss, skin hydration, and erythema measurements.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of a topical peptide-based formulation containing Acetyl Hexapeptide-37 in promoting skin barrier recovery after controlled disruption in healthy adult participants. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the peptide cream speed up the recovery of the skin barrier after it has been slightly damaged with tape-stripping method? * How does the peptide cream compare to a placebo (a cream with no active ingredient) in improving skin hydration and reducing redness? Researchers will compare the peptide cream to a placebo to assess its effects on skin barrier recovery Participants will: * Undergo controlled disruption of the skin barrier on the volar forearm using the tape-stripping method. * One forearm will receive the peptide-based cream containing Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, while the other (contralateral) forearm will receive a placebo formulation. * Attend scheduled visits for non-invasive assessments of skin barrier function, including transepidermal water loss, skin hydration, and erythema

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a topical face cream containing the peptide Acetyl Hexapeptide-37 improves skin hydration and strengthens the skin barrier compared to a placebo cream in healthy adult participants. The study uses a split-face design, in which one side of the face is treated with the peptide cream and the other side with a placebo (a cream without the active ingredient). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the peptide cream improve skin hydration and reduce transepidermal water loss compared to placebo? * Does the peptide cream affect skin erythema or cause irritation? * How do participants rate the comfort and tolerability of the peptide cream? Researchers will compare the treated and placebo sides of the face to assess differences in skin barrier function and tolerability. Participants will: * Attend a baseline visit for assessment of facial skin parameters, including hydration, transepidermal water loss, and erythema * Apply the peptide cream to one side of the face and the placebo cream to the other side once daily for 4 weeks * Attend weekly follow-up visits for non-invasive skin measurements * Record any skin sensations (e.g., stinging, tightness) or adverse effects throughout the study

The purpose of this observational study is to systematically evaluate how a 12-month multimodal psychiatric treatment program affects sleep quality, inflammatory and hormonal biomarkers, eating disorder psychopathology, and health-related quality of life in adolescent girls (aged 10-18 years) diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Do adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa have measurable changes in sleep patterns (total sleep time, sleep efficiency, REM sleep, deep sleep) compared to age- and sex-matched published values, and do these improve after 12 months of psychiatric treatment? * Are specific body markers (like NLR, CRP, vitamin D, and lipid profile) linked to how severe sleep problems, eating disorder symptoms, and treatment results are in this group? * To assess these outcomes, researchers will compare participants' baseline measurements to their own 12-month follow-up measurements to determine whether multimodal psychiatric treatment produces clinically meaningful improvements in sleep architecture, biomarker profiles, psychopathology, psychological flexibility, and quality of life. Participants will: * Take-home sleep recordings with a wireless device (NOX A1) in their usual environment at the start and after 12 months of treatment. * Complete validated self-report questionnaires assessing sleep quality (PSQI), daytime sleepiness (ESS-CHAD for children and adolescents), eating disorder symptoms (EDE-Q), depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21), psychological flexibility (AFQ-Y8), and health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-52) at baseline and 12-month follow-up. * Give blood samples at the start and after 12 months for testing of inflammation markers, hormone levels, lipids, and anthropometric measurements. * Take part in a Day Hospital Program at the Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Split (KBC Split), Croatia, which includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, individual counselling, family work, and medication if needed.

Irritant dermatitis is one of the most common inflammatory skin disorders, caused by exposure to external substances that induce inflammation and immune activation. Standard management includes avoidance of irritants, restoration of the skin barrier using emollients, and the application of anti-inflammatory drugs such as topical corticosteroids. However, due to the risks associated with long-term corticosteroid use, there is an interest in developing emollient formulations enriched with bioactive compounds possessing anti-inflammatory properties. Among those promising compounds is glycyrrhetinic acid. 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid, a bioactive component of licorice root extract, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Topical application has demonstrated beneficial outcomes in conditions such as atopic dermatitis, acne, pruritus, and UVB-induced skin damage. Its proposed mechanisms of action include inhibition of key inflammatory enzymes (COX, 5-LOX, iNOS) and promotion of skin regeneration through stimulation of aquaporin-3 expression and enhancement of epidermal turnover. Topical application of formulations containing 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid will improve skin parameter disturbances caused by irritation induced with sodium lauryl sulfate. This study aims to evaluate the effects of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid on human skin parameters in an acute irritant dermatitis model induced by sodium lauryl sulfate, providing further insight into its potential role as an anti-inflammatory and barrier-restoring agent. Funding: Funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

The goal of this observational study is to learn how sleep quality, mental health, lifestyle behaviors, and metabolic markers are related to glucose control and pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Do differences in sleep quality, anxiety levels, and eating behaviors relate to differences in glycemic control in women with GDM? * Are maternal metabolic markers (such as glucose, liver enzymes, and lipid levels) associated with perinatal outcomes such as birth weight, cesarean delivery, and neonatal complications? * To compare women who undergo short inpatient glucose monitoring with women who undergo home-based digital glucose monitoring to see if the mode of monitoring is related to differences in sleep, mental health, metabolic profiles, or perinatal outcomes. Participants will: * Complete questionnaires on sleep, anxiety, lifestyle, and eating behaviors * Undergo routine laboratory testing, including metabolic and blood markers. * Have glucose monitored either during a short hospital stay or through home use of the FreeStyle Libre sensor. * Be followed from GDM diagnosis (24-34 weeks) until delivery to assess maternal and newborn outcomes

The goal of this clinical trial is to achieve diabetes type 2 (DM2) remission using intensive lifestyle intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does intensive lifestyle intervention (including Mediterranean diet with a caloric deficit, daily physical activity, increase in stress resilience and group support) lead to DM2 remission (HbA1c\<6.5%, without medications) * Can intensive lifestyle intervention (including Mediterranean diet with a caloric deficit, daily physical activity, increase in stress resilience and group support) result to weight loss of \>15 kg * Does intensive lifestyle intervention result in any side effects (secondary outcome) Researchers will compare intensive lifestyle intervention to the usual clinical care (control group). Participants in the experimental group will: * eat Mediterranean diet with a caloric deficit * perform daily physical activity * increase their stress resilience with psychosocial support of the group * enroll weekly in individual and group counseling and workshops for 6 months, following with 1.5 years of follow-up

The goal of this randomized prospective clinical trial is to examine whether phenotypic traits, psychological characteristics, assessed by STAI (engl. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and IPIP50S (engl. International Personality Item Pool) questionnaires, and patients' self-efficacy, assessed by SEMSA (engl. Self-Eficacy Measure for Sleep Apnea) questionnaire, are associated with CPAP adherence after three months of use. The study also evaluates whether a motivational phone call one month after therapy initiation improves CPAP adherence at the three-month follow-up. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Are phenotypic and psychological traits associated with adherence to CPAP therapy after 3 months of treatment? * Can a single motivational telephone intervention, one month after initiating CPAP therapy, significantly improve CPAP adherence at the three-month follow-up compared to no intervention? Researchers will compare patients who receive a phone call to those who do not, to see if this simple intervention leads to better CPAP adherence after three months of use. Participants will: * Undergo polysomnography before starting CPAP therapy, * Complete three questionnaires (IPIP50S, STAI, SEMSA) before starting CPAP therapy, * Be randomly assigned to either receive a motivational phone call one month after starting CPAP therapy or to a control group without any phone call, * Be invited for a follow-up after three months of CPAP use to download and analyze CPAP adherence data from their CPAP devices.

Sufficient serum levels of vitamin D are important for immune system regulation with protective effect against severe infection and overactivated inflammatory response in sepsis. It is also not clear what level of vitamin D in the blood would be the trigger for vitamin D administration. A more selective approach to VDR activation than cholecalciferol could have a more significant role in the clinical outcomes of patients with sepsis. A study demonstrated that low baseline serum level of vitamin D receptor (VDR) was associated with a high incidence of 28-day mortality and negatively correlated with lactate, C-reactive protein, APACHE II SOFA scores, and disease severity among patients with sepsis in an ICU setting. The role of selective vitamin D receptor activation agents (paricalcitol or maxacalcitol) was not studied in septic patients, despite its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Vitamin D analogs have different effects on nuclear VDRs than does calcitriol, through different response elements in various target genes, so it is possible that their effect on a patient with sepsis will be more effective than cholecalciferol. As distribution of VDRs is ubiquitous in many organs and tissues, selective VDR activation with paricalcitol may have beneficial effects in preserving organs functionality and modulating the immune response in sepsis. Hypotheses 1. The immunoregulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative properties of selective vitamin D receptor activator paricalcitol would result in improvement of inflammatory, endothelial function, and antioxidative parameters and clinical outcomes in groups of septic patient admitted to ICU. 2. The baseline septic patient serum 25(OH) D3 levels at admission time in ICU have influence on clinical outcomes as well as on inflammatory, endothelial function, and antioxidative parameters. 3. The inflammatory, endothelial function, and antioxidative parameters measured at ICU admission time have significant impact on clinical outcomes in septic patients. The aim The main objective of study is to test hypothesis that that selective activator of vitamin D receptors paricalcitol will improve outcomes of septic patient admitted in ICU. The study aims to investigate the effects of paricalcitol on clinical outcomes, inflammatory markers, organ dysfunction, endothelial function, vascular morphology, coagulation markers, and haemodynamic parameters. The additional objectives of the study are to test hypothesis that septic patient serum 25(OH)vitamin D3 have impact on inflammatory, endothelial function, and antioxidative parameters including protein carbonylation; and to test hypothesis that these markers and clinical outcomes are interconnected with significant impact on clinical outcomes.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies reported consistent and substantial impairments in the central nervous system (CNS) in multiple sclerosis (MS). Studies of peripheral nervous system (PNS) function comprising electromyoneurography (EMNG) reported impairments of the PNS in MS that were less pronounced and inconsistent. Neurophysiological studies are generally small and cross-sectional and with the poor grouping of MS patients according to MS type. The objective of the study is to investigate clinical, neurophysiological, and immunological markers in relapsing-remitting MS patients, and in patients with relapsing-remitting MS treated with immunomodulation. The results of the study may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis and can provide guidance in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with relapsing-remitting MS.

Pterygium is a noncancerous growth of the conjunctival tissue over the cornea. It is a progressive disease that may lead to visual impairment in advanced stages, as well as restriction of ocular motility, chronic inflammation and cosmetic concerns. Surgical removal is the treatment of choice, but recurrence of pterygium is a frequent problem. In this randomized controlled cauterization will be compared with fibrin glue for conjunctival autografting in primary pterygium surgery.