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Study of Arthritis and Related Conditions

Completed
Conditions
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Registration Number
NCT00006333
Lead Sponsor
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Brief Summary

This research protocol will recruit patients with arthritis and related conditions for the purpose of screening patients for treatment protocols, and evaluating the natural history of arthritis and related conditions. Patients will be evaluated clinically, radiographically and serologically, and standardized data will be uniformly collected on all patients. Additional imaging using sensitive MRI methods will be obtained in some patients. The collected blood and tissue will be utilized for laboratory studies to continue research on the pathogenic mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis and related autoimmune joint diseases. Data from the history and physical examination as well as several disability questionnaires in the adult and pediatric population will be used to phenotypically characterize these patients and assess outcome and functional status. Any medical care recommended or provided to the patients will be consistent with routine standards of practice and provided in consultation with the patient's referring physician.

Detailed Description

This research protocol will recruit patients with arthritis and related conditions for the purpose of screening patients for treatment protocols, and evaluating the natural history of arthritis and related conditions. Patients will be evaluated clinically, radiographically and serologically, and standardized data will be uniformly collected on all patients. Additional imaging using sensitive MRI methods will be obtained in some patients. The collected blood and tissue will be utilized for laboratory studies to continue research on the pathogenic mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis and related autoimmune joint diseases. Data from the history and physical examination as well as several disability questionnaires in the adult and pediatric population will be used to phenotypically characterize these patients and assess outcome and functional status. Any medical care recommended or provided to the patients will be consistent with routine standards of practice and provided in consultation with the patient's referring physician.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
697
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Determine patterns of arthritisEnd of the study

Evaluate natural history and disease trajectories in rheumatoid arthritis

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Assess cytokine profilesEnd of the study

We would like to comprehensively assess cytokine profiles in the serum of patients with pauciarticular, poly-articular and systemic onset JRA and the influence of response to treatment on cytokine changes.

Correlate the cartilage and bone markers of tissue destruction and repair with MRI imagesEnd of the study

We would further like to correlate the cartilage and bone markers of tissue destruction and repair with the amount of damage seen on MRI in the different patient disease subsets.

Determine the degree of early disabilityEnd of the study

Very subtle degrees of early disability have been seen in patients with relatively short disease duration. We would like to determine the degree of early disability in JRA patients and correlate measures of disability with the number, joint location and degree of joint damage on MRI.

MRI Imaging in RA and related diseasesEnd of the study

We would like to use patients from this cohort to develop the analysis of MRI images, including three dimensionally reconstructed images, and test their use in the evaluation of joint damage and impact on early diagnosis and therapeutic decisions.

Evaluation of early disability in RA and related diseasesEnd of the study

Analysis of the degree of early disability resulting from inflammatory arthritis in the early synovitis cohort patients is currently ongoing. We intend to continue work with the rehabilitation department on the analysis of the extent of disability related to the inflammatory conditions and associated factors in the adult and pediatric population.

Co-culture experiments using synovial tissue and surgical cartilage specimensEnd of the study

The erosive potential of some but not all forms of arthritis is still poorly understood. We propose to resume co-culture experiments using synovial tissue and surgical cartilage specimens to develop a tissue model of bone erosions using the bioreactor

Confirmatory Studies In RA and related diseasesEnd of the study

We would like to continue confirmatory studies and test whether serologic disease markers identified early in the course of the disease are indeed markers of disease severity in patients with more established forms of the disease.

Collection of DNA in RA and related diseasesEnd of the study

Genetic associations need to be tested in large populations of patients with heterogenous diseases. We would like to continue the collection of DNA in a cohort of clinically well-characterized patients to allow for genetic analysis once a critical body of patients has been collected.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

🇺🇸

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

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