Emory
Researchers Seek African-American Sarcoidosis Patients for Genetic
Analysis Study
Researchers
at the Emory University Sarcoidosis Genetic Analysis (SAGA) Center and
the Atlanta Sarcoidosis Center at the Atlanta VA Medical Center are
conducting a study to determine the relative contributions of genes
and the environment to the development of sarcoidosis, an inflammatory
disease that affects the lungs but can appear in almost any body organ.
The Sarcoidosis Genetic Analysis
(SAGA) study is recruiting African-American sarcoidosis patients who
are at least 18 years of age and have a sibling who has been diagnosed.
Participation in the study involves blood work, a medical exam, and
evaluation of the patient's work habits and hobbies. Researchers are
also interested in testing the immediate family members of infected
persons.
Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory
disease that causes microscopic lumps called granulomas to occur in
almost every organ of the body — the most common being the lungs,
skin and eyes. If the granuloma lumps don't heal or disappear, the body
organ remains inflamed and becomes scarred.
Sarcoidosis has no known
cause and no cure. It most often strikes young adults between 20-40
years of age, at the height of their working years. Currently the drug
prednisone and other drugs that suppress the immune system are used
to try and treat the inflammation. Although most patients show some
improvement while using these drugs, about 1/3 of patients show a poor
response and develop significant impairment of breathing and mobility.
Some patients are even forced to consider early termination of their
jobs because of the illness.
Sarcoidosis can occur in
all races and both sexes, but African-Americans are diagnosed with the
condition up to three times more often than Caucasians and show death
rates up to 10 times more commonly than Caucasians.
The purposes of the SAGA
study are:
- To learn whether the disease is passed on from parent to child
- To find out why African-Americans are diagnosed so often with the
disease
- To understand if what they come in contact with at home or work puts
African- Americans at increased risk for sarcoidosis
- To improve the health of future generations of African-American men
and women at risk for sarcoidosis
The study investigators are
Dr. Samuel Aguayo at the Atlanta VA Medical Center and Dr. Gloria Westney
at Grady Memorial Health System. Eligible participants or individuals
seeking more information about the SAGA Study may contact Kathleen Cannella,
RN, Ph.D, or Francesca Cordi, M.S.N, M.P.H at the Emory University SAGA
Center at (404) 728-7635 or toll-free at1-877-905-7254.
The Sarcoidosis Genetic Analysis
Study is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute/National
Institutes of Health. The Emory University SAGA Center is one of 11
sites nationwide.
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