Osteoarthritis study begins
BETHESDA, MD – The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS, www.niams.nih.gov), part of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health (NIH, www.nih.gov), announced recruitment has begun for the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), a public-private partnership between NIH and industry which funds a multi-site contract to create a resource to hasten discovery of biological markers for osteoarthritis (OA).
Men and women age 45 and older at risk for developing OA and those with early disease are eligible to participate. After an initial screening, four U.S. centers each plan to enroll and follow 1,250 adults for five years . Biological specimens (blood, urine, DNA), images (X-rays and magnetic resonance scans), and clinical data will be collected annually.
Biological markers - physical signs or biological substances which indicate changes in bone or cartilage - are critical in diagnosing and monitoring OA and developing new treatments. Ultimately, results may enable doctors to use biological markers to help identify people at risk for OA and people with OA at risk for disease progression. The markers could help doctors assess the effectiveness of treatments.
The clinical centers may be contacted at: Ms. Raushanah Kareem, University of Maryland, 1-410-706-5791, or 1-866-565-KNEE (toll-free); Osteoarthritis Initiative, Ohio State University, 1-614-688-3563, or 1-800-251-1175 (toll-free); Study Office/GSPH, University of Pittsburgh, 1-800-872-3653 (toll-free), and Osteoarthritis Initiative, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island/Brown University, Attn.: Doris Moore, 1-800-877-3347 (toll-free).