The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is actively enrolling patients in research studies with adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis and polymyositis/dermatomyositis.
The NIH Twin-Sib Studyis attempting to understand risk factors and mechanisms for the development of systemic autoimmune diseases in adults and children. In this study, researchers will evaluate same-sex siblings within four years of age, where one has been diagnosed within the last four years with adult rheumatoid arthritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus, systemic sclerosis or polymyositis/dermatomyositis, and the other has no autoimmune disease.
The MYORISK Study wants to determine if persons with myositis and the anti-synthetase syndrome (with frequent interstitial lung disease) have experienced different environmental exposures before disease onset compared to other polymyositis/dermatomyositis patients. All adult or juvenile polymyositis/dermatomyositis patients diagnosed within the last year are eligible for enrollment.
Both studies involve a single visit to the National Institutes of Health, a collaborating center, or a local physician's office to
complete patient/parent and physician questionnaires, and a blood draw and urine sample.
Call the NIH recruiting center toll-free at (800) 411-1222 to learn more about this studies or to review your eligibility requirements.
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