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The clinical
activities focus upon treating
patients with inflammatory rheumatic
diseases, as well as those with
degenerative disease. These
patients can be treated in the
ambulatory care unit, as an
daypatient, or if needed, as
an inpatient within the Clinic
III. The Rhein-Main Rheumatology
Center is located at the University
Clinic, which is also a member
the Regional Cooperative Rheumatology
Center (funded by BMG/ BMBF).The
university uses its own ambulatory
care unit to carry out clinical
studies. Both the interdisciplinary
clinical research (psoriatic
arthritis, connective tissue
diseases and vasculitis) along
with the basic research take
place in close cooperation with
the Center of Dermatology. The
Institute for Rheumatology is
able to pursue and coordinate
clinical studies, coach drug
approval proceedings, and runs
its own research lab for experimental
rheumatology.Emphasis is placed
upon the evaluation of patho-mechanisms,
as well as the effects of therapeutics
and genetic dispositions. This
is done with the use of primary
patient tissues (blood, joint
tissues, synovial cell-cultures).
Patient tissue is obtained in
collaboration with the arthritis
surgery department. Specific
methods were established to
carry out investigations of
the role cytokines play in inflammation,
with an emphasis upon IL-18,
IL-10, IFNg, TNFa and others.
Polymorphism analyses are performed
on large patient groups (rheumatoid
arthritis, arthritis psoriatica
are emphasized). The cause of
anemia of chronic diseases is
examined, along with the molecular
effects of the therapy with
erythropoietin.
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