National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Natcher Building, Room 5AS-13A, 45 Center Drive, MSC 6500, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6500

A -- RESEARCH REGISTRY FOR JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS POC Erin C. Lange, Contracting Officer, 301/594-2543 E-MAIL: Erin C. Lange, el45g@nih.gov. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with the Children's Hospital Medical Center (CHMC) to extend and expand the scope of their current contract for an additional five (5) years. The CHMC was originally awarded a five (5) year contract in September, 1994, for the project entitled "Research Registry for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis." The purpose of the contract was to establish a research registry for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). The Contractor developed, maintains, and systematically updates a disease registry for JRA with the focus on multicase families with affected sib pairs. In conjunction with the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease, the CHMC continuously promotes the use of the Registry as a national resource to facilitate research by providing adequate numbers of subjects for study, thus enhancing the national research effort in childhood arthritis. The purpose of this extension is three fold. First, the additional time will allow the incumbent to continue to enroll affected sib pairs to meet its enrollment goals. Second, it will allow long-term follow-up of sib pairs with JRA. Third, genotyping of sib pairs will be accomplished which will uncover which genetic loci relate to this disease. Long term follow-up requirements and the genotyping component will be added to the contract's Statement of Work. A determination for the use of other than full and open competition has been made in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) as set forth in FAR 6.302-1. The Children's Hospital Medical Center (CHMC) is determined to be the only responsible source for the following reasons: (1) the CHMC leads a unique national effort dedicated to the collection and characterization of JRA sib pairs; (2) the CHMC has developed and implemented a system for sib pair accrual, based on strict enrollment criteria; and (3) the CHMC has unique invaluable resources at its disposal such as DNA on 96 JRA affected sib pairs, 92 having DNA from one or both parents; a collection of over 600 DNA samples in their Tissue Bank Repository from HLA typed JRA patients; and comprehensive clinical data, including quantitative trait data on all patients, including therapeutic history. Therefore, the CHMC has the unique capability to perform this work. This is not an announcement of the availability of a Request for Proposals. See Numbered Note 22.***** Posted 07/14/99 (W-SN353871). (0195)

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