CONTINUATION OF THE CONSORTIUM FOR THE LONGITUDINAL EVALUATION OF AFRICAN-

这个子项目是众多研究子项目之一

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This study will serve to complete the longitudinal evaluation of 400 African-Americans with early RA, from the previous CLEAR study in which ~200 healthy African-American controls matched for age, sex, and geographic location samples have been collected. In addition, a cross-sectional approach to compile extensive demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, and radiographic data on 600 additional African-Americans with longstanding RA will be proposed. Genomic DNA, RNA for gene expression studies, and serum to allow a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing RA in African-Americans will be collected. When complete, CLEAR will provide a unique and valuable resource for the scientific community to identify genetic and non-genetic factors that influence disease occurrence and outcomes. This resource will, in turn, allow many unanswered questions regarding RA in African-Americans to be addressed.