Area of research
Rheumatology · Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Research interest
Research topics from publications: Research progress on mesenchymal stem cells and their exosomes in systemic sclerosis; Risk factors of digital gangrene secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus flare: real-world data from 2014 to 2022. Representative work: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease with an unknown etiology. Clinically, it is characterized by localized or diffuse skin thickening and fibrosis. The pathogenesis of SSc includes microvascular injury, autoimmune-mediated inflammation, and fibroblast activation. These processes interact and contribute to the diverse clinicopathology and presentation of SSc. Given the limited effectiveness and substantial side effects of traditional treatments, the treatment strategy for SSc has several disadvantages. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are expected to serve as effective treatment options owing to their significant immunomodulatory, antifibrotic, and pro-angiogenic effects. Exo OBJECTIVES: To seek risk factors of gangrene secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: We reviewed 31 SLE patients who developed gangrene, following them up for over 2 years. A control group of 93 lupus patients without gangrene matched for SLEDAI-2000 scores was also included. Additionally, 93 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited as a healthy control group. RESULTS: Thirty-one out of 3021 (1.03%) SLE patients with gangrene were recorded. The average age at event was 32.23 ± 18.77 years and the average disease duration was 80.23 ± 260.54 months. Gangrene, as the first manifestation of new onset of SLE, was found in 16 patients. Logistic regression analysis i