How you can participate in this research

Any individual with relapsing polychondritis is welcome to take part in Dr. Buckner's research. There are several ways in which people may participate.

• Become part of the RP Registry- We have established the registry, which allows us to gather information from people with RP. To participate we ask that you fill out a form about yourself and your illness. Once we receive that information we will then contact you to verify that information for our database. We will then contact you on an annual basis to gather up to date information on what has happened to you in the past year. All information is confidential.
• Donate a blood sample for the RP sample repository. Blood samples can be drawn by your local laboratory and sent to our laboratory via federal express. We supply the necessary kits for this process. These samples are used for studies of the immune response in relapsing polychondritis, and to evaluate potential genes involved in the disease. These are research studies, and although we hope to develop useful lab tests for clinical use in the future, these tests are not used in the management of individual patients.