Genetics and Clinical Characteristics of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

• Register: ClinicalTrials.gov
• Last refreshed on: 7 January 2013
• Main ID: NCT00078091
• Date of registration: 18/02/2004
• Primary sponsor: National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
• Public title: Genetics and Clinical Characteristics of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome
• Scientific title: Bardet-Biedl Syndrome: Phenotype and Metabolic Characteristics
• Date of first enrolment: February 2004
• Target sample size: 300
• Recruitment status: Recruiting
• URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00078091
• Study type: Observational
• Study design: N/A

Countries of recruitment

United States

Contacts

• Name: For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office (PRPL)

• Name: Julie Sapp

• Name: Leslie G Biesecker, M.D.
• Affiliation: National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Key inclusion & exclusion criteria

- INCLUSION CRITERIA:

We are using the previously published clinical diagnostic criteria for BBS(21) to
determine study eligibility of probands. As outlined in that report, we are including
patients who present with four of the five primary features or three primary features and
two secondary features. Parents are also enrolled for genetic studies. We are not
enrolling unaffected siblings or recruiting control subjects, instead, results of testing
are being compared to previously published data obtained from appropriate non-BBS control
subjects.

The initial determination of eligibility is made by review of prior clinical records. Some
patients are not characterized in sufficient detail to know if the person meets the
clinical criteria, yet we may suspect the diagnosis. In those cases, the subjects are
brought to NIH and undergo clinically appropriate testing to make the diagnosis. If that
clinical testing does not confirm the diagnosis, the patient or parents are given
appropriate clinical counseling and returned to the care of their personal physician. If
features later develop that allow the diagnosis to be made, they may re-enroll and undergo
further evaluation.

Our study population includes patients of all ages and ethnic groups, and both genders.
The inclusion of children is essential to a research study that is correlating genotype
with phenotype, and is attempting an early identification of metabolic abnormalities that
may be best treated at an early age. Many of the age-dependent manifestations of BBS
develop during childhood and the average age of diagnosis is 9.2 years. Pregnant women and
children under the age of 5 yr do not undergo invasive research procedures (i.e.
phlebotomy) or procedures involving ionizing radiation (i.e. X-rays or DEXA scans) unless
that procedure would be performed as part of standard medical care.

Because cognitive dysfunction is known to be a component of BBS, some patients with
impaired cognition and understanding may be evaluated under this protocol. If the
investigators believe that an adult patient may not be competent to give informed consent
to participate, or does not understand the consent document and the procedures of the
study, that patient may be excluded from participation. We may request that the patient
and accompanying caregiver also be interviewed by an independent ethics panel to confirm
that he or she is competent to give consent and to participate if the team feels this
would be useful.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Neither healthy volunteers unrelated to an affected patient nor lab personnel will be
enrolled.

We will make efforts to obtain consent from all parents/guardians of minor subjects (i.e.
we would not allow a single parent to consent a child when both parents have parental
rights). If a single parent or guardian has sole custody/legal responsibility for a child
(e.g., a divorce with full custody to one parent or one parent is deceased), we will
accept consent from one parent.

Both mothers and fathers of children with BBS (who are also typically enrolled in our
protocol, as described above) are eligible to participate in the interview portion of the
study. We hypothesize that mothers and fathers will, as groups, have slightly different
experiences with coping with courtesy stigma, although a couple may have convergent
beliefs, coping mechanisms, and experiences. As such, we predict that we will initially
conduct interviews with both parents of the same proband (assuming both parents are
interested in participating), although we may target either mothers or fathers only
following interim analysis of the interview transcripts.



Age minimum: N/A
Age maximum: N/A
Gender: Both

Health Condition(s) or Problem(s) studied

Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

Secondary ID(s)

04-HG-0123

040123

Source(s) of Monetary Support

Please refer to primary and secondary sponsors