Doctors in Birmingham awarded major grant to look for the causes of arthritis in children
DOCTORS in Birmingham who have set up a major study into the causes of childhood arthritis hope their work will revolutionise the treatment of the crippling condition.
The disease – which affects around 15,000 children in the UK - could even be prevented from occurring in the future, they claim.
The team, led by leading paediatric rheumatologist Professor Taunton Southwood have been awarded a grant of more than £100,000 by medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign to carry out the research.
Over the next three years the team aims to discover whether infection plays an important role in causing or perpetuating persistent arthritis in children. The researchers will also link this information with other studies looking in the genetic factors of the disease.
"Around 1,000 new cases of juvenile chronic arthritis are diagnosed every year, "explained Dr Bhayani, of the department of rheumatology at the University of Birmingham. "It causes swelling, pain, and stiffness in a child's joints, which often lasts for many years. In over one third of cases, this results in some form of lifelong disability, and there is currently no cure."
The study will take place on three sites: the Rheumatology Unit at Birmingham Children's Hospital, one of the largest in Europe treating more than 400 youngsters; the Department of Rheumatology; and the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Birmingham.
Professor Southwood works at both the university and the hospital, ensuring a seamless collaboration between clinicians who care for patients, and the scientists who will be generating results in the laboratory.
Samples of blood and joint fluid will be collected from children with arthritis after consent from their parents. These samples will then be tested for the presence of infectious bacteria, the children's immune response to the bacteria will then be assessed, and the cells present in the youngsters' joints will also be logged.
The results will be matched up with clinical data and genetic data generated from other studies.
"We hope that defining a cause or causes of persistent arthritis in children will revolutionise our ability to treat and possibly even prevent the disease in the future," added Dr Bhayani.
