of Work: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can severely damage the kidneys, joints, and other tissues. The role of genetic susceptibility in SLE has been extensively examined, but relatively little is known about the contribution of specific hormonal and environmental influences involved in the etiology of SLE. Our study focuses on measures of endogenous hormone exposure (menstrual and reproductive history), exogenous sources of estrogen (including estrogen replacement therapy, fertility drugs, and environmental estrogens), and occupational exposures that have been linked to the development of SLE or other autoimmune diseases (e.g., silica dust). A population-based case-control study of recently diagnosed patients living in eastern North Carolina and South Carolina underway: 300 cases and 300 controls frequency matched by age, gender, and state will be enrolled. Cases are identified through private-practice rheumatologists, 4 university-based rheumatology practices, public health clinics, and patient support groups. Population-based controls will be identified through driver's license records. A standardized interview includes assessment of previous medical history, family medical history, work and other activities with the potential of exposure to specific materials, and for women, reproductive and menstrual history. Serum will be collected to measure specific autoantibodies. White blood cells will be stored for additional studies of gene- environment interactions relating to metabolism, immune function, and hormones.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01ES049023-01
Application #
6162218
Study Section
Epidemiology and Biometry Training Committee (EB)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code
Cooper, Glinda S; Bynum, Milele L K; Somers, Emily C (2009) Recent insights in the epidemiology of autoimmune diseases: improved prevalence estimates and understanding of clustering of diseases. J Autoimmun 33:197-207
Cooper, Glinda S; Treadwell, Edward L; St Clair, E William et al. (2007) Sociodemographic associations with early disease damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 57:993-9
Calvo-Alen, J; Alarcon, G S; Campbell Jr, R et al. (2005) Lack of recording of systemic lupus erythematosus in the death certificates of lupus patients. Rheumatology (Oxford) 44:1186-9
De Roos, Anneclaire J; Cooper, Glinda S; Alavanja, Michael C et al. (2005) Rheumatoid arthritis among women in the Agricultural Health Study: risk associated with farming activities and exposures. Ann Epidemiol 15:762-70
Szalai, A J; Wu, J; Lange, E M et al. (2005) Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the C-reactive protein (CRP) gene promoter that affect transcription factor binding, alter transcriptional activity, and associate with differences in baseline serum CRP level. J Mol Med 83:440-7
Parks, Christine G; Cooper, Glinda S; Hudson, Lori L et al. (2005) Association of Epstein-Barr virus with systemic lupus erythematosus: effect modification by race, age, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 genotype. Arthritis Rheum 52:1148-59
Parks, Christine G; Pandey, Janardan P; Dooley, Mary Anne et al. (2004) Genetic polymorphisms in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and TNF-beta in a population-based study of systemic lupus erythematosus: associations and interaction with the interleukin-1alpha-889 C/T polymorphism. Hum Immunol 65:622-31
Su, Kaihong; Wu, Jianming; Edberg, Jeffrey C et al. (2004) A promoter haplotype of the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif-bearing FcgammaRIIb alters receptor expression and associates with autoimmunity. I. Regulatory FCGR2B polymorphisms and their association with systemic lupus erythematosus. J Immunol 172:7186-91
Parks, C G; Hudson, L L; Cooper, G S et al. (2004) CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus in a population-based study of whites and African-Americans in the southeastern United States. Lupus 13:784-91
Parks, Christine G; Cooper, Glinda S; Nylander-French, Leena A et al. (2004) Comparing questionnaire-based methods to assess occupational silica exposure. Epidemiology 15:433-41

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