Die Vortragsreihe Medizinische Forschung der Medizinischen Fakultät OWL findet im Semester (außer in den Schulferien) mittwochs um 17:00 Uhr (~1Std.), derzeit primär via Zoom-Videokonferenz, statt.

Ziel der Veranstaltung ist der Austausch und die Vernetzung der Forschenden und Forschungsinteressierten im Bereich der medizinischen und medizinrelevanten Forschung.

Forschende der Medizinischen Fakultät OWL, der drei Krankenhausträger, die gemeinsam das Universitätsklinikum OWL bilden (Evangelisches Klinikum Bethel, Klinikum Bielefeld, Klinikum Lippe) sowie forschungsinteressierte niedergelassene Ärzt*innen in OWL präsentieren Ihre aktuellen Forschungsprojekte und tauschen sich zu Ihrer Forschung und neuen Projektideen aus. Kolleg*innen anderer Fakultäten, dem HDZ sowie nationaler und internationaler Institute sind als Redner*innen und/oder Diskutant*innen ebenfalls herzlich willkommen.

Abstract des Vortrags:

Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease that affects the axial skeleton. Sacroiliac joints are affected in 90%, and 60% of patients develop inflammation in the spine. Ongoing inflammation results in pain, stiffness, loss of functioning, bony proliferation in the spine, and reduced quality of life. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and biological therapies improve symptoms and reduce inflammation as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CRP. In clinical trials and in daily practice, patient reported outcomes such as the BASDAI questionnaire or the ASDAS questionnaire (includes also CRP) are often used. However, patient reported outcomes may be influenced by factors other than disease activity such as mental illnesses including depression or comorbidities such as chronic pain and social context factors. In a post hoc analysis of a clinical trial, the relationship between improvements in objective measures of inflammation (MRI, CRP) and clinical outcomes (BASDAI, ASDAS) with was evaluated following 12 weeks of treatment with certolizumab pegol (CZP), a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) inhibitor. A greater improvement was seen in the reduction of objective markers of inflammation (MRI, CRP) as compared to improvements in patient reported outcomes. Thus, there seems to be a partial disconnect between standard clinical outcomes applied in clinical trials and outcomes based on established patient reported outcomes. This knowledge has important implications for daily practice, in particular if patient do not respond well according to standard measures of disease activity. The use of only clinical response measures as trial endpoints may underestimate true anti-inflammatory treatment effects.