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Structural studies of arteries by quantitative MRI in vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS type IV): |
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Peter Byers, MD
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
"Structural studies of arteries by quantitative MRI in vascular
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS type lV): genotype/phenotype
characterization"
Dr. Peter Byers and his colleagues (William Kerwin, Ulrike
Schwarze and Melanie Pepin) of the University of Washington School of
Medicine (Seattle) will use high-resolution MRI to study major arteries
in individuals with the vascular form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS)
in an effort to determine if certain types of drugs would be most
likely to reduce the risk of arterial rupture, the usual cause of
premature death in affected individuals. The vascular form of EDS, EDS
type IV, is a rare disorder that affects about 1/100,000 individuals
and results from mutations in the type III collagen gene, COL3A1.
Affected individuals die prematurely from arterial rupture. Currently
there are no effective therapies. These investigators hope that study
of the vascular wall by non-invasive techniques (MRI) will help to
define new and effective treatments.
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