Centres Netherlands    
  Prof. Désirée van der Heijde
Personal Professor van der Heijde is a member of the Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. She is the chair of the Assessment in SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) and is participating in many EULAR initiatives and is member of the EULAR standing committee of Epidemiology and the EULAR standing committee of Clinial Affairs.
The
Department

The Department of Rheumatology trains 6 fellows each year in the broad field of rheumatology including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), Spondyloarthritis (SpA), arthritis (general), care research, and basic research. There are also many PhD students in the department.

Clinical practice in the Department of Rheumatology focuses on ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and spondyloarthritis, early arthritis, systemic sclerosis, hand osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and SLE. The department is also a center for supra-regional referrals and special clinics for conditions including early arthritis, SLE nephritis, and neuropsychiatric SLE
Research
Projects

Current research initiatives in the department supervised by Prof van der Heijde include outcome research in AS, spondyloarthritis, and RA with a focus on imaging (radiographs in rheumatoid arthritis, and radiographs and MRI in AS and spondyloarthritis). Research into trial methodology and clinical epidemiology is also a focus of interest.
Other research areas in the department include the pathogenesis of the development and progression of RA, mostly focussed on genetic and serological factors. In OA, research focuses on the etiology of development and progression and on clinimetry, especially concerning radiographs and MRI.

The department has participated in many  industry-sponsored and investigator driven clinical trials in UA, RA, AS, SpA, PsA and OA
Recent
Publications

318. Sieper J, van der Heijde DM, Landewé RBM, Brandt J, Burgos-Vargas R, Collantes Estevez E, Dijkmans BAC, Dougados M, Khan MA, Leirisalo-Repo M, van der Linden S, Maksymowych WP, Mielants H, Olivieri I, M Rudwaleit. New criteria for inflammatory back pain in patients with chronic back pain - a real patient exercise of the Assessment in SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS)
Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68 784-788

320. Rudwaleit M, van der Heijde D, Landewé R, Listing J, Akkoc N, Brandt J, Braun J, Chou CT, Collantes-Estevez E, Dougados M, Huang F, Gu J, Khan MA, Kirazli Y, Maksymowych WP, Mielants H, Sorensen IJ, Ozgocmen S, Roussou E, Valle-Onate R, Weber U, Wei J, Sieper J. The Development of Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) Classification Criteria for Axial Spondyloarthritis (Part II): 
Validation and Final Selection
Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68 777-783

334. Rudwaleit M, Jurik A-G, Hermann K-G, Landewé R, van der Heijde D, Baraliakos X, Marzo-Ortega H, Ostergaard M, Braun J, Sieper J. Defining active sacroiliitis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for classification of axial spondyloarthritis - a consensual approach by the ASAS/ OMERACT MRI Group
Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:1520-27

337. Lukas C, Landewé RBM, Fatenejad S, van der Heijde DMFM. Subtle changes in individual joints result in both positive and negative change scores in a patient: Results from a clinical trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:1691-5

339. van der Heijde D, Lie E, Kvien TK, Sieper J, Van den Bosch F, Listing J, Braun J, Landewé R. The ASDAS is a highly discriminatory ASAS-endorsed disease activity score in patients with ankylosing spondylitis
Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:1811-8
   
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