Background:
- Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a severe immunological complication that occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Although oral cGVHD occurs in >25% of cGVHD patients and leads to decreased quality of life, its etiology is poorly understood.
- The primary objective of the present protocol is to enroll normal volunteers who will contribute a saliva and/or blood sample in order to compare its characteristics with those of patients with and without chronic GVHD after allogeneic HSCT. The normal control saliva and blood samples will provide a standard of comparison for patient saliva and blood samples from ongoing NCI cGVHD related protocols.
Objective:
-To collect approximately 5 ml of saliva and/or 18 cc peripheral blood from healthy volunteers as needed to support research activities.
Eligibility:
- Healthy individuals (including employees) all racial/ethnic groups, aged 18 years or older.
- Volunteers must be willing to undergo saliva and peripheral blood collection.
- No active illnesses, immunodeficiency, history of opportunistic infection, autoimmune disease, immunosuppressive medications or prior organ, bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplant.
- Ability of subject to understand and provide written informed consent.
- Phase I of the study will be restricted to males, age 30-70 years
Design:
- Healthy volunteers will be offered the opportunity to participate in this protocol.
- A basic clinical dental assessment will be done.
- Saliva samples will be collected from the consenting subject.
- Peripheral blood samples may be collected from the consenting subject at the same visit.
- Protein assays will be performed on the collected saliva and blood samples.