Systemic Diseases

The Systemic Diseases group performs translational research based on at least 300 patients with systemic lupus erytomatosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), systemic sclerosis, vasculitis, dermatomyitis, Sjörgen syndrome or autoinflammatory syndromes in order to better understand their pathogenesis (both at the immunological and genetic regulation level), study their clinical and biological expression (through the detection of new markers that help characterize each of the autoimmune diseases), study morbimortality (through epidemiological studies) and analyse patients' response to medications. With these goals in mind, we seek to improve the diagnosis, clinical monitoring, and prognosis of our patients.

Research lines

Immunobiology and immunopathology of recurrent pregnancy loses and spontaneous loses.

Around 2-3% of reproductive-age couples suffer recurrent pregnancy loses. Almost 18% of couples that wish to have children suffer infertility problems. Simultaneously, 2-3% of all pregnant women are diagnosed with spontaneous loses. The expression of HLA molecules, specially type G, the degree of trophoblastic apoptosis, the outsourcing of new neoantigens such as phospholipids, the balance between Th1/Th2/Th3 cytokines, the type and quantity of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ lymphocytes, the kind and the activity of uterine NK cells (uNK) cells, the presence or absence of blocking antibodies, and other mechanisms play different roles in the achievement of the so-called "tolerant microenvironment" needed to develop a normal pregnancy. Therefore, both autoimmune and alloimmune mechanisms are important. We aim at studying which isolated, and specially associated, anomalies can be identified as risk markers to be able to evaluate possible treatments.

IP: Jaume Alijotas Reig

Pathogenic role of cellular microparticles and anti-phospholipid/anti-cofactor antibodies in recurrent implantation failures related to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

The prevalence of failed IVF is high or very high. Besides problems intrinsic to the technique, we know almost nothing about the possible underlying causes. Anti-phospholipid/anti-cofactor (aPL/aCF) antibodies have been associated to several obstetric complications. Nevertheless, the role that these aPL/aCF antibodies may have in failed IVF is not well defined. With this randomized study we want to understand better the use that these antibodies may have on a clinical daily basis. Along with the microparticles analysis, we could end up by finding several elements that might act as risk markers; in turn, it might even help us to fine-tune the currently used therapeutic approaches.

IP: Jaume Alijotas Reig

Cancer and myositis. Relevance of the anti-p155 antibodies and importance of the screening for cancer by Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography (PET/CT).

Anti-p155 antibodies seem to be useful for the diagnosis of paraneoplastic myopathies. We have studied their prevalence and their diagnosis value in a cohort of 137 patients with inflammatory myopathies and we have observed that they have a high negative predictive value. On the other hand, the screening by PET/TC does not contribute much to the conventional screening of cancer in these patients.

IP: Albert Selva O'Callaghan

International Classification Criteria Project.

This is a multicentric study aimed at defining new diagnosis criteria for muscular inflammatory diseases. Although criteria given by Bohan and Peter are still used in clinical practice, some inflammatory diseases such as inclusion body myositis are not included. The hytopathological classification performed by Dalakas includes the latter entity but it does not take into account neither the paraneoplastic myositis nor those associated to systemic diseases.

IP: Albert Selva O'Callaghan