National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Natcher Building, Room 5AS13A, 45 Center Drive, MSC 6500, Bethesda, MD, 20892-6500

A -- GENETIC ALAYSIS OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS POC Diana Lynn Wheeler, 301/594-2543 The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) intends to negotiate a five year non-competitive acquisition with the North Shore University Hospital. The Hospital represents a consortium of investigators working with rheumatologists from academic centers and voluntary groups located nationwide. The purpose of this procurement will be to collect all information and specimens necessary to examine rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a complex genetic trait. The work under th e proposed contract will be dedicated to the identification and clinical, demographic and radiologic characterization of sib pairs with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the enrollment will be extended to include at least one parent for each RA sib pair, as well as, age, sex-matched controls. The approach will utilize RA affected sib pairs nationwide and will include appropriate minority representation. Under the proposed initiative, a national resource will be created for the genetic analysis of human RA. 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 North Shore University Hospital is determined to be the only responsible source for several reasons: they lead a national consortium of investigators dedicated to the collection and characterization of RA sib pairs; the Hospital, along with the other members of the consortium, has developed and implemented a system for sib pair accrual based on stric t enrollment criteria; they have the capability to access at least thirty percent of the national RA sib pair population; and to date, the consortium has partially enrolled 50 sib pairs, fully enrolled 10 sib pairs, and identified 120 sib pairs. Therefore, they have the unique capability to conduct a national recruitment of at least one thousand sib pairs. This is not an announcement of the availability of a Request for Proposal. See Numbered Note 22. (0002)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0001 19970107\A-0001.SOL)