Research - Autoimmune Diseases Service

The research of the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Service is being conducted through the August Pi Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS). The Service's research team forms part of the area of Biological Aggression and Response Mechanisms and promotes basic, clinical and translational research into these diseases in a multidisciplinary manner. It also counts on the participation of members of the Autoimmune Diseases Service, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Nephrology, Immunology, Hemostasis, Hepatology, Obstetrics and Dermatology, among others.

The research groups that focus on the research of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases are the following:

Since 2009 the Service has been accredited by the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Generalitat de Catalunya as a Consolidated Research Group (GRC) with funding.

To carry out the research tasks, the team has three areas of work:

• Clinical Trials Area
• Josep Font Autoimmunity Laboratory
• Vascular Inflammation Laboratory

The research led by the healthcare professionals of the Service focuses on four main areas:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome and systemic sclerosis
• Sjögren's syndrome, autoimmune manifestations of hepatitis C virus infection, and biologic therapies
• Systemic vasculitis
• Autoinflammatory diseases

These activities are carried out in close collaboration with various international working groups, of which the members of the following teams are national and and international coordinators:

• European Working Party on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (EWPSLE)
• European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibodies (EFAPL)
• Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Centers (SLICC)
• Lupus in Minorities-Nurture versus Nature (LUMINA) Study Group
• Study Group on Systemic Autoimmune Diseases-Use of Biological Therapies (BIOGEAS)
• European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjögren Syndrome Task Force
• European Vasculitis Study Group (EUVAS)
• European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Systemic Vasculitis Task Force
• EULAR Standing Committee for International Clinical Studies Including Therapeutics, and American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Work Group for Development of Classification Criteria for Rheumatic Polymyalgia
• EULAR / ACR Working group for the development of diagnosis and classification criteria for Systemic Vasculitis
• American College of Rheumatology (ACR) / EULAR Work Group for recommendations for Polymyalgia Rheumatica
• EULAR / ACR Work group for recommendations for Systemic Vasculitis
• European Vasculitis Genetic Consortium, EULAR / ACR Working group for the development of diagnosis and classification criteria for Sjögren síndrome