An observational study in Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica, sponsored by University of Leeds. Recruiting at 76 sites in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 50 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-03-30.
Sponsored by University of Leeds · Observational
A multi-centre observational study recruiting prospective and retrospective cohorts of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA). The primary aim is to find genetic determinants of GCA and PMR susceptibility, in order to yield novel insights into disease pathogenesis. A subset of the retrospective cohort is also enrolled in a post-marketing surveillance registry of patients eligible for, or receiving tocilizumab, to treat their relapsing or refractory GCA.
Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also known as temporal arteritis, is the most common form of primary systemic vasculitis, with up to 75,000 cases a year identified in the EU and US. It occurs almost exclusively in people over the age of 50 years and is considered to be a medical emergency. If not treated with high-dose glucocorticoids immediately, the thickening of the inflamed blood vessel wall can cause irreversible visual loss or stroke. GCA can lead to significant morbidity across a variety of systems, due to both the disease, and complications of treatment. Diagnosis may be confirmed with a temporal artery biopsy, imaging (e.g. USS/CT/MRA/PET-CR) or based on clinical signs (e.g. erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and symptoms (e.g. a new headache, jaw claudication, visual disturbances, temporal artery abnormality such as tenderness or decreased pulsation) .
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is characterised by inflammatory limb-girdle pain with early morning stiffness, and a systemic inflammatory response demonstrated by elevated inflammatory markers.
The UK GCA Consortium is a multi-centre observational study, the main arms of which recruit prospective (participants with suspected GCA) and retrospective cohorts (participants with confirmed GCA diagnosis). Analysis of data collected on these cohorts will help achieve the primary aim of finding genetic determinants of GCA and PMR susceptibility, in order to yield novel insights into disease pathogenesis. Secondary aims, and their associated analyses, are as follows:
147 studies on the registry are indexed under Giant Cell Arteritis; 49 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 4,500 is above the median of 128 across 78 observational studies indexed under Giant Cell Arteritis.
Browse Giant Cell Arteritis studies →University of Leeds is the lead sponsor of 206 studies on the registry; 25 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Patients predominantly recruited from secondary but can be identified and/or recruited in primary care.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Biopsy and archival tissue
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A patient who has a diagnosis of GCA or PMR
Patient with suspected GCA and PMR
Primary outcome for genetic susceptibility studies:
Diagnosis of GCA (or PMR), confirmed by a specialist (e.g. rheumatologist, ophthalmologist) with relevant expertise.
Time frame: At baseline
Phenotype
Clinical phenotype or subtype of GCA/PMR based on disease features and imaging undertaken as part of routine clinical practice, and on research tests, such as imaging performed for research purposes, cells, subcellular fractions and molecules in the circulation and/or arterial tissue and genetic/ epigenetic/ transcriptomic/ proteomic or metabolomic factors, including next generation sequencing (whole exome sequencing) of selected cases.
Time frame: At baseline
Life impact questionnaires
Assessment of the impact the disease and treatment has on the patients' lives as reported by the patient
Time frame: At baseline
Long term outcomes
Longitudinal follow-up of patients (as far as is possible from medical and electronic records and without requiring additional study visits) to define prognosis/disease outcomes, such as ischaemic manifestations, aneurysm formation, duration of steroid therapy, disease flares, complications related to steroid therapy.
Time frame: At baseline
Diagnosis of GCA/PMR
Diagnosis in patients presenting with suspected GCA/PMR (prospective study).
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Exploratory analyses
To investigate role of genetics, environmental factors (e.g. diet and sunlight) and co-morbidities (e.g. periodontal disease) on disease phenotype and outcome as assessed by the patient-administered questionnaires.
Time frame: At baseline
Disease activity defined as an increase in clinical and patient reported activity of disease
Participants commencing a synthetic or biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug with or without additional steroid therapy will have their disease activity assessed.
Time frame: At baseline
Proteomic and genomic analyses on serum, plasma and urine samples.
A variety of 'omic technologies will be applied to cell populations isolated from the blood and/or routine diagnostic arterial biopsies, including, but not limited to, RNASeq and a variety of proteomic approaches.
Time frame: At baseline
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