Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis, RA, is a severely disabling disease, which may, at worst, cause invalidity of the patient. Much has been gained by more active therapeutic approaches with the best results obtained by a combination of a light chemotherapy (methotrexate) and biological medications, most notably against TNF-alfa, the primary proinflammatory cytokine in the joints. A certain percentage of the patients, however, do not benefit from these therapies and more refined diagnostic tools and strategies remain to be developed to sort out high-risk patients for even more aggressive therapy.

The Parker Institute is involved in projects with the aim of refining diagnosis and treatment of RA. The response to therapy is traditionally measured by a combination of clinical examinations of the joint, blood tests and the patient´s self-reported evaluation. We wish to do supplementary imaging analysis in patients with active RA with both MRI and ultrasonography. Also, patients are included in the process of monitoring with self-reported outcomes

The biochemical laboratory of the Parker Institute measures the changes in arthritis activity in blood tests. In some patients with more localized changes, material is obtained from this site, e.g. a joint or tendon sheath, for biochemical analysis in collaboration with other research institutions and laboratories.

 

Spondyloarthritis (SpA)

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is the name for a group of inflammatory rheumatic diseases that cause chronic arthritis, including pain, fatigue and various degrees of disability. The most common are ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A novel approach divides SpA patients in to axial-SpA and peripheral-SpA depending on whether the dominating feature of the disease is axial (i.e. spine and back inflammation) or peripheral (i.e. swelling and pain in joints of fingers and toes). AS belongs to the axial group whereas PsA primarily belongs to peripheral SpA.

The Parker Institute is involved in various epidemiologic and clinical projects with the aim of refining etiology, diagnosis and treatment of SpA. The response to therapy is traditionally measured by a combination of clinical examinations of the joint, blood tests and the patient´s self-reported evaluation. We wish to do supplementary imaging analysis in patients with active SpA with both MRI and ultrasonography. Also, patients are included in the process of monitoring with self-reported outcomes.

The Parker Institute has ongoing SpA research collaborations with Lund University, the Karolinska Institute, Sahlgrenska University, and Diakonhjemmet in Oslo.