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Autoimmune DiseaseNCT00341198

Confirmation of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases in the Agricultural Health Study

An observational study of Autoimmune Disease, run by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) at 3 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Autoimmune diseases may involve nearly any organ and are characterized by abnormal activation or response of certain cells. Evidence suggests that farm work, exposure to silica from farming activities and exposure to pesticides may contribute to the development of autoimmune disease. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age
Conditions the study is for
Autoimmune Disease
How many people
700 participants
Where
3 sitesUnited States
Study dates
2 Apr 2002to 12 Dec 2006
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Agricultural workers and their spouses.

Who cannot join

  • Children will not be included.
  • There are no exclusions based on ethnicity or race.
  • Participants who are unable to complete a telephone interview because of chronic illness (including cognitive impairment) or language or hearing difficulties will not be eligible.

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 1 country.

United States3 sites
  • Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation

    Durham, North Carolina, 27713

  • University of Iowa

    Iowa City, Iowa, 52242

  • NIEHS, Research Triangle Park

    Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27709

Other trials in United States

About this study

Autoimmune diseases may involve nearly any organ and are characterized by abnormal activation or response of certain cells. Evidence suggests that farm work, exposure to silica from farming activities and exposure to pesticides may contribute to the development of autoimmune disease. Associations between autoimmune diseases and farming, however, have not been extensively investigated, and exposure data in the currently available studies are extremely limited.

One of the major challenges in conducting population-based research on autoimmune diseases is case ascertainment. Self-report of previous diagnosis has proven to be unreliable. This protocol outlines a strategy to confirm self-reported diagnoses of systemic autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and Sjogren syndrome) within the Agricultural Health Study group (AHS; a group of licensed pesticide applicators and spouses who completed a questionnaire). The confirmed cases will constitute a refined case group to allow analyses of pesticides and other farming-related exposures as possible risk factors for these diseases using data that have already been collected.

Read more

Subjects will be selected from participants in the AHS who reported one of the diseases being studied. A short telephone interview will be conducted with participants, who will be requested to provide written consent for review of information from medical records. To confirm the self-diagnosis, participants' physicians will be contacted. Specific information will be requested in the form of a checklist. Responses will be reviewed for evidence of diagnosis and classified as confirmed, probable, physician-diagnosed, or unconfirmed.

Secondary objectives of this study are to:

  • assess the correct interpretation of conflicting self-reports that are provided at two different times.
  • evaluate the usefulness of specific questions that could potentially be used in future studies to validate self-reported cases of rheumatoid arthritis in men.
Read the detailed description

Farming-related exposures (including pesticides and silica) may contribute to the etiology of autoimmune diseases. However, associations between autoimmune diseases and farming have not been extensively investigated, and exposure data in the currently available studies is extremely limited. One of the major challenges in conducting population-based research on autoimmune diseases is case ascertainment. Self-report of previous diagnosis has been shown to be very unreliable. This protocol outlines a strategy to confirm self-reported diagnoses of systemic autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and Sjogren syndrome) within the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) cohort. The confirmed cases will constitute a refined case group to allow etiologic analyses of pesticides and other farming-related exposures as possible risk factors for these diseases using data that have already been collected. The codes can also be used in a nested case-control study that could be designed to collect additional exposure data (for example, on silica-related exposures).

Keywords
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Scleroderma, Sjogren's Syndrome, Farming, Autoimmune Disease, Exposure
Medical subject headings
Autoimmune Diseases, Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Scleroderma, Diffuse, Sjogren's Syndrome

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Jun 2006 (estimated)
  2. Study start2 Apr 2002
  3. Study completion12 Dec 2006

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Enrolment
700 participants
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00341198
Sponsor's protocol ID
999902166
Other IDs
02-E-N166
Status last verified
12 Dec 2006
First submitted
19 Jun 2006
Last updated
2 Jul 2017
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Jubault V, Penfornis A, Schillo F, Hoen B, Izembart M, Timsit J, Kazatchkine MD, Gilquin J, Viard JP. Sequential occurrence of thyroid autoantibodies and Graves' disease after immune restoration in severely immunocompromised human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000 Nov;85(11):4254-7. doi: 10.1210/jcem.85.11.6988.

    PubMed 11095463

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Autoimmune Disease, run by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) at 3 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jul 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00341198, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Jul 2017.

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