OMRF seeking Sjögren’s patients for study

Oklahoma City, October 14, 2008 – Researchers at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation are looking for people who have been diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome or believe they might suffer from the disease.

Sjögren’s is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks the body’s moisture-producing glands, damaging the ability to produce saliva or tears. Common symptoms of the syndrome include dry eyes and dry mouth, and the disease can also cause fatigue, arthritis and memory problems. The disease is thought to affect as many as 3 million Americans.

OMRF researcher Kathy Moser, Ph.D., is creating a database of Sjögren’s patients to use in large-scale DNA screenings. The goal of her research is to isolate and identify the genes responsible for the disease.

“Building a very large collection of samples and clinical data from carefully evaluated Sjögren's syndrome patients will provide a critical and much needed resource for research,” said Moser, who is an associate member of OMRF’s Arthritis and Immunology Research Program. “Through our Sjögren's Research Clinic, we are able to facilitate many different types of research projects led by investigators that are part of our OMRF team as well as numerous U.S. and international collaborators.”

By expanding the research database and discovering more about the causes and effects of Sjögren’s, Moser hopes she and her OMRF colleagues can develop improved diagnostic tests and therapeutic options for the common and debilitating disorder.

A similar approach at OMRF has led to breakthroughs in the identification of genes related to lupus.

Volunteers who qualify for the study will be asked to donate a small blood sample and meet with an ophthalmologist and rheumatologist and oral medicine expert for specialized tests. The medical services, provided at no cost to the volunteer, are worth about $2,600, and patients can take the results back to their primary care physicians.

“Only a handful of centers around the world are set up to do this kind of analysis in a single visit,” Moser said.

If you are interested in participating or would like more information about the study, please call (405) 271-2574.

About Sjögren’s Syndrome
Sjögren’s is an auto-immune disease affecting about 3 million Americans. The disease, in which the immune cells attack and destroy moisture secreting glands, can cause dry mouth and eyes, leading to blurred vision, oral infections and troubles eating or drinking. There is no cure for Sjögren’s, but treatments can ease some of the symptoms.

About OMRF
OMRF  (omrf.org) is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding and developing more effective treatments for human disease. Chartered in 1946, its scientists focus on such critical research areas as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, lupus and cardiovascular disease.

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