Given the primary disease and the use of immunosuppressive drugs, patients with rheumatic diseases are at a significantly higher risk of developing infections, including bacterial, fungal and virus.The co-existence of infections and rheumatic diseases involves many complex considerations. Infections can complicate the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. On the other hand, patients with rheumatic diseases are often immunocompromised, which leads to prolonged duration of infection and higher mortality.
Based on the above, our research question focuses on the ‘prevalence of infections and their associated risk factors in patients with rheumatic diseases’. With the resources of the UK Biobank, we plan to conduct a three-year research project aiming to collect data from over 500,000 people.
Our first task will be to integrate a comprehensive set of data, including genetic information, environmental factors, behavioural factors, laboratory indicators, imaging data and histological data, in order to explore the genetic variations that may contribute to the development of rheumatic diseases and the prevalence of infections in people with rheumatic diseases. After identifying these differences, we will begin to determine which factors optimise risk prediction and hold promise as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis or prognostic assessment. In addition, this research could provide important information to unravel the mechanisms behind the disease and highlight potential therapeutic targets.
