Patients who suffer with this autoimmune disease, as well as physicians who treat it, will gather in Oklahoma City Saturday, October 31 for the Ninth Annual National Conference for Sjogren’s Syndrome (NSSA). Chairman of the symposium is Morris Reichlin, M.D., Head of the Arthritis and Immunology Research Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Chief of the Section of Arthritis and Immunology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.
“Sjogren’s Syndrome is disease featuring dry eyes and dry mouth due to decreased tears and saliva,” said Reichlin. “This dryness is related to immunological destruction of the lacrimal and salivary glands. In addition, patients may suffer from other problems, including arthritis and various types of skin rashes. Many of these issues will be presented and discussed at the conference.”
In addition to Reichlin, speakers at the conference include Haraldine Stafford, Ph.D., M.D., and R. Hal Scofield, M.D., both of the OU Department of Medicine and researchers at OMRF; Glen Houston, D.D.S., M.S.D., OU School of Dentistry; James Chodosh, M.D., OU Department of Ophthalmology; and Ali Askari, M.D., Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University and President of the National Sjogren’s Syndrome Association.
“The National Sjogren’s Syndrome Association is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing emotional support to patients and their families and educational information to both patients and health care professionals worldwide,” said Barbara Henry, Director of Education for NSSA and a Sjogren’s patient. “NSSA is also committed to encouraging research which identifies the cause of Sjogren’s Syndrome and how it can be cured.”
Patients with lupus, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia are also welcome.
The conference will be held from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation at 825 N.E. 13th Street. Registration fee, which includes lunch and syllabus, is $25.00 for non-members of NSSA and $22.50 for members and their guests. Medical students are welcome. Deadline to register for the conference is October 27. For information on how to register, contact Kathy Linkey at 602/422-9844.
