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

Spanish Registry of patients with Systemic vasculitides (REVAS).

This is a multicentre study supported by the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Group (GEAS) from the Spanish Internal Medicine Society (SEMI). The aim of the study is to describe the different clinical forms of presentation of these diseases, the response to the conventional treatment of the different subtypes of vasculitides, and the prognostic factors and survival in our country. This study includes 17 Hospitals from Spain with a cohort of 300 patients. We are the study coordinator Centre.

IP: Roser Solans Laque

Spanish Registry of Scleroderma patients (Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Group, Spanish Internal Medicine Association).

This multicentric study includes 14 hospitals with a cohort of 916 scleroderma patients. Its main goal consists in determining both the prognosis factors and the survival of these patients.

IP: Carmen Pilar Simeón i Aznar, Vicenç Fonollosa Pla

Specific Antinuclear antibodies of scleroderma as markers for different clinical patterns.

We want to establish the relationship between the presence of specific autoantibodies for scleroderma (anti-centromere, anti-topoisomerase 1, anti-polymerase III, anti-U3 RNP, Anti-Th/To, Anti-Pm/Scl, anti-Ku) with the different demographic and clinical features as well as with the disease prognosis.

IP: Carmen Pilar Simeón i Aznar, Vicenç Fonollosa Pla

Study of IFN-gamma/STAT and TGF-beta/SMAD pathways in lupus patients with skin involvement. Role in the evolution to fibrosis.

With this project we aim at studying the status of the IFN-gamma/STAT and the TGF-beta/Smad intracellular signal pathways in cutaneous biopsies of patients with lupus. We are now analyzing the expression of several molecules involved in these pathways to be able both to discern the main differences among the different types of cutaneous lupus and to interpret the residual fibrotic lesions observed in discoid lupus.

IP: José Ordi Ros