Supervisors info:
Μ. Βουλγαρέλης, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Κ. Μαυραγάνη, Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ι. Στεργίου, Επιστημονικός Συνεργάτης, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatological diseases constitute a heterogeneous
group of pathological entities that, in addition to frequently affecting connective tissue,
are characterized by multi-system involvement and overlapping clinical
manifestations. The disruption of immune regulation and chronic inflammation form
the basis of their pathophysiology. In this context, the cellular and molecular networks
related to autoimmunity/inflammation lead to complex interactions that may involve
cells and tissues of the hematopoietic system. Consequently, various hematological
manifestations concerning one or more cell lines are often observed in
autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatological diseases, and they may serve as
significant prognostic factors, reflecting the extent of immune system activation. This
thesis will provide a review of the published international literature regarding
hematological manifestations in autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatological diseases.
Various hematological manifestations will be analyzed in separate subsections,
specifically: anemia, leukopenia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytosis,
splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, malignant lymphoproliferative disorders,
myelodysplastic neoplasms, and acute myeloid leukemia. A comprehensive search
will be conducted in the PubMed database that will include the type of hematological
manifestation and the various types of autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatological
diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritides,
systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren’s syndrome, vasculitides, systemic sclerosis).
The following will be selected and analyzed: 1) studies describing the incidence of
hematological manifestations in each type of autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatic
disease, 2) studies concerning the analysis of pathophysiological mechanisms
involved in the development and progression of each hematological manifestation, 3)
studies related to the prognosis of patients with autoimmune/inflammatory
rheumatological diseases who present with a specific hematological manifestation,
and 4) studies concerning the therapeutic approach for patients with
autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatological 5 diseases who exhibit a specific
hematological manifestation, as well as the effectiveness of each therapeutic practice.
Therefore, the thesis aims not only to describe the hematological manifestations in
autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatological diseases but also to analyze mechanisms
and highlight correlations with the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients,
serving as a foundation for further research study
Keywords:
Rheumatologist, Autoimmune, Autoinflammatory, Hematologic, Anemia
