Purpose

RATIONALE: Collecting and storing samples of blood, urine, tissue and data from patients with amyloid diseases to test in the laboratory may help the study of this disease in the future. PURPOSE: This research study is collecting samples from patients with amyloid diseases

Condition

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: - Diagnosis or suspicion of amyloidosis PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: - Referred to the Amyloid Treatment and Research Center at Boston University Medical Center PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: - Not specified

Exclusion Criteria

None

Study Design

Phase
Study Type
Observational
Observational Model
Other
Time Perspective
Prospective

Recruiting Locations

Boston University Cancer Research Center
Boston, Massachusetts 02118
Contact:
Clinical Trials Office - Boston University Cancer Research Cen
617-638-8265

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Boston Medical Center

Study Contact

Vaishali Sanchorawala, MD
617-638-8261
vaishali.sanchorawala@bmc.org

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES: - To establish and maintain a database of clinical material (i.e., blood, urine, and tissue) and information on patients with amyloid diseases. OUTLINE: Blood, urine, tissue, and bone marrow samples are collected during standard laboratory evaluations to maintain a repository of biospecimens in the Gerry Amyloid Research Laboratory, to permit the correlation of clinical results with measured biological events, and for future research studies. Bone marrow RNA samples are examined for immunoglobulin light-chain gene sequences and amino acids by polymerase chain reaction and positional cloning. Blood serum and urine samples are evaluated for amyloid protein stability by high-resolution calorimetry, isothermal-titration calorimetry, and far- and near-UV circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. Urine samples are also examined for post-translational modifications (e.g., glycosylation, sulfation, and cross-linking) to identify common features unique to amyloid proteins. Tissue samples are analyzed for biochemical and biophysical properties and for post-translational modifications in light chains. Quality of life is assessed by the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36).

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.