Rheumatology and Immunology
Overview
The Department of Rheumatology and Immunology is a key medical discipline in Wuxi. It is a member unit of the Jiangsu Rheumatology Alliance and the Rheumatology Alliance of Renji Hospital, Shanghai. It has been officially accredited as the Integrated Diagnosis and Treatment Practice Center for Connective Tissue Disease-associated Interstitial Lung Disease and the Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Founded in 2002, the department boasts 23 years of professional experience. It has grown into a modern specialized team for rheumatic and immune diseases featuring solid technical strength, advanced diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and high-efficiency medical services. At present, the department has 22 medical staff, including 6 senior professional title specialists and 8 physicians with master’s degrees or above (including 1 PhD candidate). Equipped with 26 inpatient beds, it runs general and specialist outpatient clinics to meet diverse medical demands of patients. Focusing on cutting-edge advances in rheumatology and immunology, the department prioritizes two distinctive subspecialties: connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) and inflammatory joint diseases. It commits itself to delivering standardized, individualized and refined medical services, enjoying a high reputation in Wuxi and surrounding areas.
Treatment Scope
The department specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of a full spectrum of rheumatic and immune diseases, mainly covering:
1. Systemic autoimmune diseases: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren’s Syndrome (SS), Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis (PM/DM), systemic vasculitis (including ANCA-associated vasculitis), Behçet’s Disease (BD), Relapsing Polychondritis (RP).
2. Inflammatory joint and spinal diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA), gouty arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA).
3. Metabolic bone diseases Osteoporosis.
4. Other rheumatic disorders: Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), Adult-onset Still’s Disease (AOSD), Fever of Unknown Origin (FUO), unexplained uveitis and other intractable rheumatic and immune-related diseases.
Technical advantages
Keeping pace with disciplinary developments, the department has formed distinctive technical strengths:
1.Precision diagnostic system: It routinely conducts comprehensive autoantibody tests, including ANA spectrum, antiphospholipid antibody spectrum, RA-related antibody spectrum (RF, anti-CCP etc.), ANCA spectrum and HLA-B27 testing. It proficiently performs core diagnostic procedures such as arthrocentesis and labial gland biopsy, laying a solid foundation for early diagnosis, accurate classification and disease activity evaluation.
2. Targeted therapy and hormone-sparing strategy: The core advantage lies in the wide application of biological agents (TNF-α inhibitors, IL-6 receptor antagonists, B-cell targeted drugs, etc.) and small-molecule targeted drugs (JAK inhibitors, etc.). Highly individualized therapeutic regimens are formulated based on disease conditions and personal physical status. The department strives to realize precise treatment and hormone-sparing management, greatly reducing or avoiding long-term high-dose glucocorticoid administration, so as to minimize hormone-related adverse reactions and improve patients’ quality of life and long-term prognosis.
3. Comprehensive rescue capacity for critical illnesses: The department has rich experience in managing severe rheumatic immune disorders, including severe systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus crisis, lupus nephritis), severe dermatomyositis and rapidly progressive ANCA-associated vasculitis. Advanced blood purification techniques such as Plasma Exchange (PE) and Immunoadsorption (IA) are routinely performed to rapidly eliminate pathogenic antibodies and inflammatory factors, effectively control disease progression and save patients’ lives.
Research achievements
The department attaches equal importance to clinical practice and scientific research to boost disciplinary innovation.
1. Scientific research achievements: It has made outstanding achievements in the introduction and innovation of clinical technologies, winning 5 Second Prizes of the Jiangsu Provincial Award for Introduction of New Medical Technologies. Maintaining close research cooperation with Jiangnan University, the department is conducting in-depth research on the mechanism and clinical application of probiotics in the treatment of inflammatory joint diseases. It actively explores new therapeutic targets and strategies via intestinal microecology regulation, aiming to translate research findings into clinical benefits for patients.
2. Disciplinary construction & talent training: As a municipal key discipline and provincial alliance member, the department undertakes important teaching and talent training tasks. Through standardized resident physician training, continuing medical education programs and academic exchanges, it continuously improves the professional competency of medical staff. It also plays a leading regional role in promoting the overall development of rheumatology and immunology in Wuxi.