Projects
TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF INTENSIVE COMBINATION TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS KU Leuven
Intensive combination treatment strategies (ICTS) −combining one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs with glucocorticoids in a remission induction step down approach- are most effective in the management of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to achieve clinical remission, in order to prevent joint destruction and long-term disability. Despite the availability and demonstrated effectiveness of ICTS for early RA, a discrepancy seems to ...
Development and clinical validation of a multiplexed massspectrometry- based assay to improve diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis KU Leuven
Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF)
are essential serological biomarkers for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis
(RA). However, the limitation of these markers for RA diagnosis is that
they are absent in about one third of RA patients, a percentage which is
even higher in early RA. It is now widely accepted that identification of
RA in its earliest stages significantly improves a ...
Implementation of a multimodal screening program for interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients KU Leuven
Interstitial lung disease associated to rheumatoid arthritis (RA-ILD) is an important extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in approximately 10% of patients. It has a poor prognosis; the median survival is only 3-10 years. At this moment, a systematic screening is lacking and the diagnosis is only made in an advanced stage, or during an acute exacerbation. The need for a cost-effective, safe and high-impact screening tool ...
Liposome loaded microbubbles for the ultrasound triggered release of corticosteroids and TNF-α siRNA in the inflamed synovial tissue during rheumatoid arthritis. Ghent University
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation. In close collaboration with the rheumatoid arthritis group we will evaluate microbubbles and ultrasound for the controlled delivery of corticosteroid and siRNA to inflamed synovial tissue. We hypothesize the use of microbubbles and ultrasound might increase the intraarticular
concentration of corticosteroids and TNF-α siRNA and reduce ...
Complementarity determining region-based immunoprofiling of rheumatoid arthritis. KU Leuven
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects about 1.5% of the population. Identification of RA in its earliest stages, assessment of disease severity at diagnosis and implementation of an effective treatment strategy significantly improves a patient’s prognosis. Anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) are established markers of RA, but seronegativity in both early and established RA ...
Closing the seronegative gap in rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis using B-cell receptor sequencing combined with mass spectrometric analysis of complementarity determining regions. KU Leuven
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, typically affecting joints but also showing manifestations in the whole body if left untreated. Diagnosis is based on anamnesis, clinical examination,
laboratory tests and imaging. Two biomarkers that are routinely tested in the clinic in patients suspected of having RA are considered to be specific for this disease, namely rheumatoid (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein ...
Mass spectrometry based immunoprofiling in rheumatoid arthritis patients KU Leuven
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting 2,9 million patients in Europe. If left untreated, severe joint destruction leading to impaired physical function is inevitable. Specific biomarkers such as anti-citrullinated peptide (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) can support a diagnosis of RA. However, in one third of RA patients, these biomarkers are absent. This percentage increases in the early stages of RA. ...
Biological characterization of autoantibodies associated with therapy response in rheumatoid arthritis KU Leuven
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common inflammatory autoimmune disorder that damages synovial joints and is characterized by the presence of antibodies against self-antigens. Using a highthroughput autoantibody profiling approach, novel predictive antibody biomarkers were identified in a subset of RA patients which fail to respond to a standard therapeutic regimen for RA. The aim of this project is to characterize the 3 most promising ...