Rheumatology
Rheumatic diseases are common and caused by an inability of the immune system to distinguish between self and non-self. This may lead to an immunological attack on various organs, such as joints, salivary glands, skin or kidneys. The overall aim for the Rheumatology research group is to understand the mechanisms behind the onset and development of different rheumatic diseases. In the long term, such knowledge may lead to better diagnostic procedures and treatments, and ultimately improve care and prognosis for these patient groups.
Description of our research
Rheumatic diseases are heterogenous, with considerable variation in disease manifestations even within the same diagnosis. Our research is focused on identifying risk factors for the different organ manifestations, and the mechanisms behind variation in disease severity between patients with the same rheumatic disease.
We are studying the impact of susceptibility genes, how these genes are regulated and expressed in different cells and tissues, and the importance of serum protein profiles for disease manifestations. Disease modifying mechanisms are studied experimentally.
Our main research areas are focused on Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren´s disease, Systemic sclerosis and ANCA-associated vasculitis. The mechanisms behind the increased risk for malignant lymphoma in patients with some rheumatic diseases are investigated from several aspects. Clinical manifestations and new diagnostic methods in IgG4 related disease are being studied.
The Rheumatology research group is led by professor Gunnel Nordmark. Senior professor is Lars Rönnblom. Senior researchers are associate professors Dag Leonard, Maija-Leena Eloranta, Johanna Dahlqvist, Ann Knight and Eva Baecklund. Further, the group includes researchers, post-doctors, PhD students, students, a bioinformatician, research engineer and a research nurse.
Group members
Research projects
- ANCA-associated vasculitis
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
- Sjögren’s disease
- Systemic sclerosis
- Lymphoma in rheumatic diseases
- Psoriatic arthritis
- IgG4-related disease
Publications
Part of G3, 2024
Multi-modal single cell sequencing of B cells in primary Sjögren's Syndrome.
Part of Arthritis & Rheumatology, p. 255-267, 2024
Part of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, p. 88-95, 2024
Part of Rheumatology, p. 1104-1112, 2024
Part of Journal of Autoimmunity, 2024
- DOI for A survey of ficolin-3 activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus reveals a link to hematological disease manifestations and autoantibody profile
- Download full text (pdf) of A survey of ficolin-3 activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus reveals a link to hematological disease manifestations and autoantibody profile
Part of Seminars in Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2024
Part of RMD Open, 2024
Part of Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, p. 425-432, 2024
- DOI for Tofacitinib real-world experience in ulcerative colitis in Finland (FinTofUC): a retrospective non-interventional multicenter patient chart data study
- Download full text (pdf) of Tofacitinib real-world experience in ulcerative colitis in Finland (FinTofUC): a retrospective non-interventional multicenter patient chart data study
Part of Genome Biology and Evolution, 2024
Part of Translational Psychiatry, 2024
- DOI for An exploratory study of the damage markers NfL, GFAP, and t-Tau, in cerebrospinal fluid and other findings from a patient cohort enriched for suspected autoimmune psychiatric disease
- Download full text (pdf) of An exploratory study of the damage markers NfL, GFAP, and t-Tau, in cerebrospinal fluid and other findings from a patient cohort enriched for suspected autoimmune psychiatric disease
Genome-wide investigation of persistence with methotrexate treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis
Part of Rheumatology, p. 1221-1229, 2024
Part of Arthritis Research & Therapy, 2024
- DOI for Low CD4+T cell count is related to specific anti-nuclear antibodies, IFNα protein positivity and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus pregnancy
- Download full text (pdf) of Low CD4+T cell count is related to specific anti-nuclear antibodies, IFNα protein positivity and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus pregnancy
Rare coding variants in NOX4 link high ROS levels to psoriatic arthritis mutilans
Part of EMBO Molecular Medicine, p. 596-615, 2024
Exhaled Nitric Oxide Reflects the Immune Reactions of the Airways in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
Part of Biomedicines, 2024
Part of Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, p. 418-423, 2023
Part of RMD Open, 2023
- DOI for Are JAKis more effective among elderly patients with RA, smokers and those with higher cardiovascular risk?: A comparative effectiveness study of b/tsDMARDs in Sweden
- Download full text (pdf) of Are JAKis more effective among elderly patients with RA, smokers and those with higher cardiovascular risk?: A comparative effectiveness study of b/tsDMARDs in Sweden
Multiple Genetic Loci Associated with Pug Dog Thoracolumbar Myelopathy
Part of Genes, 2023
Part of Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, p. 2448-2457, 2023
Mortality risk factors in primary Sjögren syndrome: a real-world, retrospective, cohort study
Part of eClinicalMedicine, 2023
Experiences in implementing immunopsychiatry in real life
Part of Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 2023
Stratified genetic analysis reveals sex differences in MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis
Part of Rheumatology, p. 3213-3218, 2023
Part of Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, p. 2437-2447, 2023
Part of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, p. 601-610, 2023
- DOI for Safety of biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis as used in clinical practice: results from the ARTIS programme
- Download full text (pdf) of Safety of biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis as used in clinical practice: results from the ARTIS programme
Part of Lupus Science and Medicine, 2023
Part of Genome Biology and Evolution, 2023
Part of Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, 2023
- DOI for Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and adverse events in patients receiving tofacitinib or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: a post hoc analysis of ORAL Surveillance
- Download full text (pdf) of Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and adverse events in patients receiving tofacitinib or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: a post hoc analysis of ORAL Surveillance
Distinct HLA associations with autoantibody-defined subgroups in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies
Part of EBioMedicine, 2023
Part of European Journal of Endocrinology, p. 235-241, 2023
- DOI for Relation between HLA and copy number variation of steroid 21-hydroxylase in a Swedish cohort of patients with autoimmune Addison's disease
- Download full text (pdf) of Relation between HLA and copy number variation of steroid 21-hydroxylase in a Swedish cohort of patients with autoimmune Addison's disease
Large-scale phage-based screening reveals extensive pan-viral mimicry of host short linear motifs
Part of Nature Communications, 2023
Part of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, p. 1587-1593, 2023
Part of Heliyon, 2023
Part of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, p. 754-762, 2023
Part of Rheumatology, 2023
- DOI for Serum calprotectin correlates stronger with inflammation and disease activity in ACPA positive than ACPA negative rheumatoid arthritis
- Download full text (pdf) of Serum calprotectin correlates stronger with inflammation and disease activity in ACPA positive than ACPA negative rheumatoid arthritis
Part of Arthritis Research & Therapy, 2023
- DOI for Low-density granulocytes are related to shorter pregnancy duration but not to interferon alpha protein blood levels in systemic lupus erythematosus
- Download full text (pdf) of Low-density granulocytes are related to shorter pregnancy duration but not to interferon alpha protein blood levels in systemic lupus erythematosus
A possible genomic footprint of polygenic adaptation on population divergence in seed beetles?
Part of Ecology and Evolution, 2022
Part of Arthritis & Rheumatology, p. 342-352, 2022
Part of Pharmacogenomics (London), p. 813-820, 2022
- DOI for Genome-wide association study of liver enzyme elevation in an extended cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients starting low-dose methotrexate
- Download full text (pdf) of Genome-wide association study of liver enzyme elevation in an extended cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients starting low-dose methotrexate
Part of RMD Open, 2022
Part of ACR Open Rheumatology, p. 27-39, 2022
- DOI for Four Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Subgroups, Defined by Autoantibodies Status, Differ Regarding HLA-DRB1 Genotype Associations and Immunological and Clinical Manifestations
- Download full text (pdf) of Four Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Subgroups, Defined by Autoantibodies Status, Differ Regarding HLA-DRB1 Genotype Associations and Immunological and Clinical Manifestations
Different chest HRCT scan protocols change the extent of ground glass opacities
Part of BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 2022
Oral Microbiota Profile in Patients with Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis
Part of Microorganisms, 2022
Implementing precision medicine in a regionally organized healthcare system in Sweden.
Part of Nature Medicine, p. 1980-1982, 2022
Part of Cancers, 2022
- DOI for Expression of PD-1, PD-L1 and PD-L2 in Lymphomas in Patients with Pre-Existing Rheumatic Diseases-A Possible Association with High Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity
- Download full text (pdf) of Expression of PD-1, PD-L1 and PD-L2 in Lymphomas in Patients with Pre-Existing Rheumatic Diseases-A Possible Association with High Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity
Part of Rheumatology, p. 243-255, 2022
Part of Molecular Immunology, p. 106-110, 2022
Part of Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, p. 214-219, 2022
- DOI for Complement activation prior to symptom onset in myeloperoxidase ANCA-associated vasculitis but not proteinase 3 ANCA associated vasculitis-A Swedish biobank study
- Download full text (pdf) of Complement activation prior to symptom onset in myeloperoxidase ANCA-associated vasculitis but not proteinase 3 ANCA associated vasculitis-A Swedish biobank study
Part of Nature Communications, 2022
Part of Arthritis & Rheumatology, p. 1440-1450, 2022
Part of Arthritis & Rheumatology, p. 1842-1850, 2022
- DOI for Strong Association of Combined Genetic Deficiencies in the Classical Complement Pathway With Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Primary Sjögren's Syndrome
- Download full text (pdf) of Strong Association of Combined Genetic Deficiencies in the Classical Complement Pathway With Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Primary Sjögren's Syndrome
Part of International Journal of Rheumatology, 2022
Selected publications
Arvidsson G, Czarnewski P, Johansson A, Raine A, Imgenberg-Kreuz J, Nordlund J, Nordmark G, Syvänen AC. Multimodal Single-Cell Sequencing of B Cells in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024 Feb;76(2):255-267. doi: 10.1002/art.42683. Epub 2023 Dec 18.PMID: 37610265
Hedenstedt A, Reid S, Sayadi A, Eloranta ML, Skoglund E, Bolin K, Frodlund M, Lerang K, Jönsen A, Rantapää-Dahlqvist S, Bengtsson AA, Rudin A, Molberg Ø, Sjöwall C, Sandling JK, Leonard D. B cell polygenic risk scores associate with anti-dsDNA antibodies and nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus Sci Med. 2023 Oct;10(2):e000926. doi: 10.1136/lupus-2023-000926.PMID: 37844960
Ekman D, Sennblad B, Knight A, Karlsson Å, Rantapää-Dahlqvist S, Berglin E, Stegmayr B, Baslund B, Palm Ø, Haukeland H, Gunnarsson I, Bruchfeld A, Segelmark M, Ohlsson S, Mohammad AJ, Svärd A, Pullerits R, Herlitz H, Söderbergh A, Omdal R, Jonsson R, Rönnblom L, Eriksson P, Lindblad-Toh K, Dahlqvist J. Stratified genetic analysis reveals sex differences in MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023 Sep 1;62(9):3213-3218. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead152.PMID: 37004177
Dahlqvist J, Ekman D, Sennblad B, Kozyrev SV, Nordin J, Karlsson Å, Meadows JRS, Hellbacher E, Rantapää-Dahlqvist S, Berglin E, Stegmayr B, Baslund B, Palm Ø, Haukeland H, Gunnarsson I, Bruchfeld A, Segelmark M, Ohlsson S, Mohammad AJ, Svärd A, Pullerits R, Herlitz H, Söderbergh A, Rosengren Pielberg G, Hultin Rosenberg L, Bianchi M, Murén E, Omdal R, Jonsson R, Eloranta ML, Rönnblom L, Söderkvist P, Knight A, Eriksson P, Lindblad-Toh K. Identification and functional characterization of a novel susceptibility locus for small vessel vasculitis with MPO-ANCA. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2022 Aug 3;61(8):3461-3470. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab912.PMID: 34888651
Thorlacius GE, Hultin-Rosenberg L, Sandling JK, Bianchi M, Imgenberg-Kreuz J, Pucholt P, Theander E, Kvarnström M, Forsblad-d'Elia H, Bucher SM, Norheim KB, Johnsen SJA, Hammenfors D, Skarstein K, Jonsson MV, Baecklund E, Aqrawi LA, Jensen JL, Palm Ø, Morris AP; DISSECT consortium; the ImmunoArray consortium; Meadows JRS, Rantapää-Dahlqvist S, Mandl T, Eriksson P, Lind L, Omdal R, Jonsson R, Lindblad-Toh K, Rönnblom L, Wahren-Herlenius M, Nordmark G. Genetic and clinical basis for two distinct subtypes of primary Sjögren's syndrome. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Feb 1;60(2):837-848. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaa367.PMID: 32889544
Reid S, Hagberg N, Sandling JK, Alexsson A, Pucholt P, Sjöwall C, Lerang K, Jönsen A, Gunnarsson I, Syvänen AC, Troldborg AM, Voss A, Bengtsson AA, Molberg Ø, Jacobsen S, Svenungsson E, Rönnblom L, Leonard D. Interaction between the STAT4 rs11889341(T) risk allele and smoking confers increased risk of myocardial infarction and nephritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021 Sep;80(9):1183-1189. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-219727. Epub 2021 Mar 25.PMID: 3376689
Reid S, Alexsson A, Frodlund M, Morris D, Sandling JK, Bolin K, Svenungsson E, Jönsen A, Bengtsson C, Gunnarsson I, Illescas Rodriguez V, Bengtsson A, Arve S, Rantapää-Dahlqvist S, Eloranta ML, Syvänen AC, Sjöwall C, Vyse TJ, Rönnblom L, Leonard D. High genetic risk score is associated with early disease onset, damage accrual and decreased survival in systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020 Mar;79(3):363-369. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-216227. Epub 2019 Dec 11.PMID: 31826855
Vasaitis L, Nordmark G, Theander E, Backlin C, Smedby KE, Askling J, Rönnblom L, Sundström C, Baecklund E. Population-based study of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and lymphoma: lymphoma subtypes, clinical characteristics, and gender differences. Scand J Rheumatol. 2020 May;49(3):225-232. doi: 10.1080/03009742.2019.1696403. Epub 2020 Mar 10.PMID: 32153241
Hellbacher E, Hjorton K, Backlin C, Enblad G, Sundström C, Baecklund E, Knight A. Malignant lymphoma in granulomatosis with polyangiitis: subtypes, clinical characteristics and prognosis. Acta Oncol. 2019 Nov;58(11):1655-1659. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2019.1634833. Epub 2019 Aug 13.PMID: 31407922
Imgenberg-Kreuz J, Sandling JK, Almlöf JC, Nordlund J, Signér L, Norheim KB, Omdal R, Rönnblom L, Eloranta ML, Syvänen AC, Nordmark G. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in multiple tissues in primary Sjögren's syndrome reveals regulatory effects at interferon-induced genes. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Nov;75(11):2029-2036. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-208659. Epub 2016 Feb 8.PMID: 26857698