Enfermedades Sistémicas

El grupo de Enfermedades Sistémicas desarrolla una investigación traslacional basada en una serie de al menos 300 pacientes con lupus eritomatoso sistémico (LES), síndrome antifosfolipídico (SAF), esclerosis sistémica, vasculitis, dermatomiitis, síndrome de Sjörin o síndromes autoinflamatorios con el fin de conocer mejor su patogenia (tanto a nivel de regulación inmunológica como genética), estudiar su expresión clínica y biológica (mediante la detección de nuevos marcadores que ayuden a caracterizar cada una de las enfermedades autoinmunes propias), estudiar la morbimortalidad (a través de estudios epidemiológicos) y el análisis de la respuesta de los pacientes hacia los medicamentos. Con estos objetivos en mente, buscamos mejorar el diagnóstico, seguimiento clínico y la prognosis de nuestros pacientes.

Líneas de investigación

Lung involvement in inflammatory myopathies.

With this study we want to study the natural history of this syndrome mediated by anti-synthetase antibodies, the characterization of new antibodies that may be used as markers for lung involvement, as well as we aim at understanding better the etiopathogenicity and the treatment of this organic illness in patients with myositis.

IP: Albert Selva O'Callaghan

MYOGEN study. Genome Wide Association study in myositis.

We are currently enrolled in this worldwide study to detect global genetic alterations in patients with myositis. Twenty centres from Europe and United States participate in this study. We contribute to add the genetic information of the patients from our population. Professor Frederick W. Miller (Bethesda, USA) and Dr. Ingrid Lundberg (Stockholm, Sweden) lead the project.

IP: Albert Selva O'Callaghan

RECORD study (RECOmbinant allergens in diagnosis resolution).

This study aims at detecting the prevalence of specific IgE in polisensitized patients towards pollen in Barcelona by means of the "component resolved diagnosis" technique from ISAC® (IgE specific microarray).

IP: Victòria Cardona Dahl

Detection of retrovirus XMRV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

The presence of the recently discovered retrovirus XMRV ("xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus") is being currently studied in our lab in patients with SLE. This virus has been detected in blood samples of patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Interestingly, many patients with lupus also suffer from CFS. Based on these facts, with this project we establish as a hypothesis the possibility of finding XMRV DNA and RNA sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SLE patients, especially in those with CFS. We are nowadays setting up the already described XMRV-specific PCR and RT-PCR assays. We will also study the immunologic response of these patients against particular XMRV proteins.

IP: Eva Balada Prades