<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

This was forwarded to me by a friend who works at NIH.  He said that he would try to get a summary for me to post to the group.

Be well.

--Brian
===================================

NIH Consensus Development Conference on Celiac Disease
June 28-30, 2004
Natcher Conference Center (Building 45), Main Auditorium

All NIH staff are invited to attend this important event.  Please register
before June 17 at http://consensus.nih.gov/, or by phone at
1-888-644-2667. Walk-in registrants will also be welcome.

The conference will be broadcast live on the Internet via the NIH
Videocast Web site--http://videocast.nih.gov.  The Videocast will be
open-captioned.

This conference is presented by the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Office of Medical
Applications of Research (OMAR), NIH.
_________________

BACKGROUND:
Celiac disease is a disorder primarily affecting the gastrointestinal
tract that is characterized by chronic inflammation of the mucosa, which
leads to atrophy of intestinal villi, malabsorption, and protean clinical
manifestations which may begin either in childhood or adult life. Celiac
disease's major genetic risk factors (HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8), and
environmental trigger (specific peptides present in wheat, rye and barley)
have been identified and most patients experience complete remission after
exclusion of these grains from the diet. Thus, there has been considerable
scientific progress in understanding this complex disease and in
preventing or curing its manifestations by dietary interventions.

This conference will explore and assess the current scientific evidence on
celiac disease.  Specifically, the conference will address the following
key questions:

How is celiac disease diagnosed?
How prevalent is celiac disease?
What are the manifestations and long-term consequences of celiac disease?
Who should be tested for celiac disease?
What is the management of celiac disease?
What are the recommendations for future research on celiac disease and
related conditions?
__________________

Conference sessions will take place:
Monday, June 28, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Tuesday, June 29, 8:30 am to 11:30 am.
Wednesday, June 30, 9:00 am to 11:00 am.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
A conference agenda and additional logistical information are available on
the NIH Consensus Development Program Web site --
http://consensus.nih.gov/.

If you have additional questions, please contact:
Kelli Marciel, NIH/OMAR
[log in to unmask]

Sign Language Interpreters will be provided. Individuals with disabilities
who need reasonable accommodation to participate in this conference should
call 1-888-644-2667 at least 48 hours before the conference.

ACCREDITATION AND CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENTS
The National Institutes of Health/Foundation for Advanced Education in the
Sciences (NIH/FAES) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for
Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for
physicians.

The NIH/FAES designates this educational activity for a maximum of 12.5
category 1 credits toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award.  Each
physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in
the activity.

TARGET AUDIENCE
This conference is intended for health care professionals and researchers
including the following interests or specialties: gastroenterology,
pediatrics, dermatology, immunology, and nutrition, as well as general
practitioners, patients, their family members, and interested members of
the public. The CME educational objective for this activity is to enable
participants to recognize how the preponderance of available evidence
should inform current practice and future research in celiac disease. For
additional information on event faculty, please visit
http://consensus.nih.gov.

CME EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE
At the end of this activity, participants will be able to understand how
the preponderance of evidence should inform current practice and future
research in:
1.      Diagnosis of celiac disease.
2.      Prevalence of celiac disease.
3.      Long-term manifestations of celiac disease.
4.      Management of celiac disease.

For additional information on event faculty, please visit
http://consensus.nih.gov.

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