Clinical Research Directory

Skin Autofluorescence Assessment of Advanced Glycation End Products in Rheumatic Diseases

Rheumatic diseases are chronic inflammatory conditions that can lead to long-term tissue damage and increased cardiovascular and metabolic risk. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are harmful molecules that accumulate in the body over time and are known to promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Increased AGE burden has been implicated in several chronic diseases; however, its role in rheumatic diseases has not been fully clarified. This observational, cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the accumulation of AGEs in patients with various rheumatic diseases compared with healthy individuals. AGE levels will be assessed non-invasively using skin autofluorescence measurements. By comparing AGE burden between patients and healthy controls, this study seeks to improve understanding of the potential role of AGEs in the pathophysiology of rheumatic diseases and to explore their usefulness as a non-invasive biomarker in clinical practice.

Chinese Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort (CESPIC)

The Chinese Spondyloarthritis Inception cohort (CESPIC) was started 2000 as a prospective, longitudinal, multicentre, nationwide study in China on patients with early SpA including ankylosing spondylitis (AS, also known as radiographic axial spondyloarthritis) and non-radiographic axial SpA. The objectives of CESPIC are to learn about the course of SpA during the very early stage of the disease, to appropriately assess the outcome including radiographic progression of patients after several years of follow-up, to identify outcome predictors, to assess quality of life, function, and costs (direct and indirect costs). CESPIC has been recently expanded to recruit patients with other forms of SpA / conditions associated with SpA: reactive arthritis, acute anterior uveitis, Crohn's disease as well as with psoriasis / axial psoriatic arthritis.