Research projects

Descriptive epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), chronic vasculitis and childhood onset inflammatory rheumatic diseases

PREVENT JIA: Prospective evaluation of early-life modifiable environmental factors in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) included:

-  Early life infections and use of antibiotics 
- Prenatal factors 
- Early nutrition and breastfeeding 
- Early life living environment
-  Environmental toxins 
- Parental smoking and air pollution 
- Socioeconomic factors 
- Familiar autoimmune disease and parental genetic predisposition 
- Gene - environmental interplay

PREDICT childhood rheumatic disease: the predictive value of physical function, patient reported outcome measures, inflammatory biomarkers and genetic and epigenetic markers measured at first admission to a pediatric rheumatology unit for the development of rheumatic disease

Prevalence, disease course, treatment and organ manifestations of childhood onset inflammatory connective tissue diseases in Norway - a register-based study

Validation of classification criteria for childhood onset inflammatory rheumatic diseases
- a register-based study

Organ involvement in long-term juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM)  

- Cardiovascular involvement measured by stress echocardiography and the association with physical fitness  
- Adipose tissue abnormalities and cytokines

Translation and validation of pediatric Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) modules.

Physical function, physical activity, physical fitness and quality of life in patients with pediatric rheumatic and orthopedic conditions.

Visceral adipose tissue in JIA and controls

- Distribution of and associations with biomarkers for inflammation and cardiovascular diseases, including adipokines.
- Associations with disease activity, physical fitness and physical activity.

NOR-SLE: Mapping and prospective follow-up of a large, population-based SLE cohort from south-east Norway. Projects from the cohort include

- Trends in incidence, prevalence and patient demographics over time
- Sensitivity of the 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria compared to the 1997 ACR criteria
- Organ involvement and phenotypes across age groups
- Identification of early prognostic factors for disease complications and death
- Cancer occurrence

The impact of genetic predisposing factors and gene-environment interaction for SLE

Establishment of The Norwegian Takayasu vasculitis study network/national cohort. In the cohort, study outcome of upfront and biological treatment, correlation between PET-CT findings and disease outcome, the effect of the disease on the patients' physical and mental status and work ability

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) - Establish a population-based Oslo cohort consisting of all patients diagnosed in 2000-2016. In the AAV cohort, identify new risk factors for four clinically important disease outcomes: clinical remission, relapse rate, development of organ damage and death

Behçets disease (BD) in Norway in the period 1999-2021

- A population-based study of incidence, prevalence and patient demographics in Oslo 
- Cohort study: disease manifestations and evolution of clinical phenotypes, diagnosis  and management 
- Case studies: severe manifestations of BD