The purpose of this research registry is to better understand the natural history of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and current practice patterns. The IPF-PRO registry will be used to collect data and biological samples that will support future research studies by identifying disease biomarkers for IPF. Through these studies, researchers hope to find new ways to detect, treat, and maybe prevent or cure health problems. Some of these studies may be about how genes affect health and disease, or how a person's genes affect their response to a treatment. Some of these studies may lead to new products, such as drugs or tests for diseases. We are asking you to let us collect and store some of your blood and health information so they might be used in these kinds of future studies.

If you are newly diagnosed with IPF and are eligible for participation in IPF-PRO, you will be asked to sign a consent form to become enrolled if you agree to be in this registry. At enrollment a member of MUSC research staff will collect information from you and about your medical history and medical care, as well as information about the types of health insurance (public or private) that you have. As part of your participation in this registry, you will be required to sign a medical release form giving permission for your medical records to be reviewed for the purposes of data collection for the registry. This is an observational registry which means you will not receive any investigational treatments or investigational drugs, and only minimally invasive procedures will be performed (blood draws) at scheduled clinic visits. In addition to the face to face visits for self-administered participant reported questionnaires and blood collection, at roughly 6-month intervals, sites will review the participant's medical records. Your disease management and treatment decisions will be determined by you and your health care professional. Subjects will be followed until the last enrolled subject has been followed for 3 years up to a maximum of 5 years.

The purpose of the MUSC Pulmonary Biorepository is to collect and store samples linked to medical and other information from individuals with pulmonary disease as well as healthy controls.

In combination with the clinical data and other approved research studies (that may recruit for and/or utilize samples of the biorepository) this sample repository will provide for uniform, longitudinal, complete and accurate data that can be organized and clinically correlated at the time of sample donation, with longitudinal testing possible as part of future study. Samples will be linked to each participant's unique ID, though will be deidentified and coded for use in future research and subsequent publications with pulmonary disease and control patients.

PEPPER is a randomized study comparing the three most commonly used blood thinners in North America in patients who have elected to undergo primary or revision hip or knee joint replacement surgery. The blood thinners being compared are enteric coated aspirin, low intensity warfarin, and rivaroxaban.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare lung disease that is caused by genetic mutations. It results in the uncontrolled growth and proliferation of an atypical smooth muscle cells in the lung. These cells invade airways, blood vessels, and lymph vessels, and limit the flow of air, blood, and lymph, respectively. The source of the cells is unknown, but available evidence indicates they arise from an extrapulmonary source. Their aberrant behavior is due to mutations in tuberous sclerosis genes that results in mTOR activation. Respiratory failure, lung collapse (pneumothorax), and pleural effusions (chylothorax) are hallmarks of the disease. This study will evaluate the safety and durability of the mTOR inhibitors sirolimus and everolimus, which are FDA approved medications for prevention of rejection of transplanted organs, in stabilizing or improving lung function in people in LAM.

You are being asked to take part in this research study because you have been diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a disease that can affect the lungs, skin and other organs of the body. Sarcoidosis also involves immune cells which fight bacteria. The purpose of this study is to see if using specific antibiotics will help these immune fighting cells get rid of bacterial proteins and how the antibiotics affect respiratory (breathing) function. The antibiotics used in this study are Levaquin, Ethambutol, Azithromycin, and either Rifampin or Rifabutin. You will by chance be assigned either these medicines or a placebo (an inactive substance).

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) related pulmonary arterial hypertension (SScPAH) have a worse prognosis than those with idiopathic PAH. We have recently discovered that heart cells in SScPAH do not contract or squeeze as well as in other forms of pulmonary hypertension. However, the mechanism leading to this dysfunction is not understood. To better study this and in hopes of developing a future therapy, we plan to collect tissue samples via a heart biopsy at the time of a clinically indicated heart catheterization.

Elevated pressures in the heart can represent a severe medical condition known as pulmonary hypertension. This can result in chronic right heart failure. An abnormal increase in this pressure during exercise may be represent an early stage of vascular lung disease. This study will investigate the prognostic implications of the measured pressures obtained during exercise while undergoing a right heart catheterization procedure based on a large scale multi-center approach by using retrospective and prospective analysis of hemodynamic data.

The goal of this cohort and biorepository is to collect data and blood specimens on individuals with Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), pulmonary disease, and healthy adults to better understand the illness and ultimately improve the care and survival of those with these conditions.

The purpose of this study is to better understand treatment practices for Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease. This study is comparing the effectiveness and tolerability of taking 2 drugs compared to 3 drugs in people with MAC disease.

The PHAR is a multicenter, prospective registry of newly evaluated patients at PHCCs in the United States who have either PAH or CTEPH. Baseline information will be collected at the time of initial evaluation at the PHCC (within six months of the initial outpatient PHCC visit) with follow-up data collected at approximately 6-month intervals. This study will determine how patients with PH are evaluated, tested, and treated, and will observe how well patients do. The goal of the project is to see if patients with PH are treated according to recommended guidelines and to see if there are certain factors which lead to better or worse outcomes in patients with PH. There is no intervention or study medication used and there is no limitation to how a patient is treated in this study.