National Cancer Institute, Research Contracts Branch, PSAS, 6120 Executive Blvd, EPS/Room 638, Bethesda, MD 20892-7227

A -- RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SOL RFQ-NCI-00031 DUE 122899 POC Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Agent, 301-402-4509, Todd Cole, Contracting Officer The Biostatistics Branch (BB), Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), National Cancer Institute (NCI) plans to procure the services of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University, A-3310 Medical Center North, 1161 Twenty-first Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232-2605 for performing serological tests of IgG, IgA and CagA strains for H. pylori. Due to the previous results of NCI studies on the relationship between CagA strains of H. pylori and progression of precancerous gastric lesions among subjects in Shandong, China Study, NCI would like to go a step further to identify whether the effect of H. pylori eradication on the inhibition of progression of precancerous gastric lesions is greater for CagA strains of H. pyloris. Serologic tests for antibodies to the CagA strains of H. pylori shall be performed by using serum specimens from 2,224 H. pylori seropositive subjects that were tested in 1994. Due to variability inherent in laboratory testing for H. pylori serology, it is necessary to simultaneously test the blood specimens collected from the same subject at different points in time to standardize values. A subset of bloods drawn from the same subjects in the NCI Shandong Intervention Trial will be selected and analyzed togetherb to attempt to account for the variability between 1994 and 1996 serologic values seen in the whole data set when blood from each year was analyzed separately. Serologic tests for antibodies to IgG and IgA will be performed on 800 serum samples from 400 subjects. The Contractor shall perform duplicate serologic tests of IgG and CagA+ for H. pylori (2,224 samples) and IgG and IgA for H. pylori (800 samples) using no more than .5 ml of available serum. Since Vanderbilt University and Dr. Martin Blaser are internationally recognized for H. pylori testing and developed the CagA+ test that will be used in the current study, Vanderbilt University is the only source known to NCI that can meet the requirements of this study. In addition, Vanderbilt has performed this and similar testing under previous agreements related to the overall study. Therefore, testing by other organizations could introduce further variables into the overall study results which will affect scientific comparability. This is not a request for competitive quotation. However if any interested party believes it can perform the above requirement, it may submit a statement of capabilities. The statement of capabilities and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NCI to determine if the party can perform this requirement. Capability statements must be received in the contracting office by 3:00 p.m. EST, on December 28, 1999. If you have any questions, please contact Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Agent on (301) 402-4509. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solelyfor the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Posted 12/13/99 (W-SN407931). (0347)

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