Spondyloarthritis

Spondyloarthritis is a group of common rheumatic diseases characterized by inflammation in joints of both the axial skeleton (spine and sacroiliac joints) and the appendicular skeleton ( e.g hand, hips, knees and feet) Types of spondyloarthritis include: Axial spondyloarthritis; Arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease; Peripheral spondyloarthritis; Psoriatic arthritis and Reactive arthritis.

Spondyloarthritis is a main topic of research in the department of Rheumatology of the Leiden University Medical Centre. The research group is headed by professor Désirée van der Heijde and there is a close collaboration with the LUMC department of Radiology.

One of the major projects of the Leiden SpA group is the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) study. SPACE is an ongoing inception cohort of patients with suspected axial spondylarthritis aimed at early detection of axial spondylarthritis. Using results from the SPACE study, in the last ten years the Leiden group has published extensively on the value of MRI in early axial spondylarthritis.

…

Spondyloarthritis is a main topic of research in the department of Rheumatology of the Leiden University Medical Centre. The research group is headed by professor Désirée van der Heijde and there is a close collaboration with the LUMC department of Radiology.

One of the major projects of the Leiden SpA group is the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) study. SPACE is an ongoing inception cohort of patients with suspected axial spondylarthritis aimed at early detection of axial spondylarthritis. Using results from the SPACE study, in the last ten years the Leiden group has published extensively on the value of MRI in early axial spondylarthritis.

Within the international consortium of SPACE centers there is a long-standing collaboration with the Diakonhjemmet hospital in Oslo, the University of Padua, the University of Lisbon, Amsterdam University Medical Center, and several center in Sweden, under the leadership of Prof Jacobson (Göteborg). In addition, there is a close collaboration with a French research consortium in axSpA (DESIR cohort) under the leadership of professor Dougados (Paris) .

Prinicpal investigators

  • Dr. F.A. van Gaalen
  • Prof.dr. D.M.F.M. van der Heijde
  • Dr. S. Ramiro