Connective Tissue Disease

Part 1 Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.- Introduction - SLE in 21st Century.- Epidemiologic aspects of SLE.- Immunopathogenesis of SLE.- Clinical aspects in SLE.- Autoantibodies and biomarkers: diagnostic aspects.- Joint involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.- Cutaneous manifestations of SLE.- Kidney Involvement in SLE.- NPSLE.- Cardiovascular issues in SLE.- SLE and Pregnancy.- Vitamin D endocrine system and SLE.- The impact of aPL detection on pregnancy.- SLE and APS.- Disease activity indices and prognosis of SLE.- Conventional therapy for SLE.- Biological Therapy in SLE.- Part 2 Sjögren Syndrome.- Classification criteria for Sjögren syndrome.- Pathogenesis of Sjögren syndrome.- Autoantibodies in Sjögren syndrome and laboratory markers.- Parotid and Submandibular involvement in Sjögren syndrome.- Extraglandular involvement in Sjögren syndrome.- Dry eye in Sjögren syndrome: diagnostic tools and therapy.- Neurologic involvement in Sjögren syndrome.- Lymphoproliferative disorderin Sjögren syndrome.- Pathogenetic aspects of Sjogren Syndrome: Relationships with Cryoglobulinemia and Lymphoproliferation.- Systemic treatment of Sjögren syndrome.

Dario Roccatello is Full Professor of Clinical Pathology at the University of Turin and Director of the Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID), San Giovanni Bosco Hospital, Turin. He is also Director of the Interregional Coordination Center of Rare Diseases for Piedmont and Aosta Valley, and Director of the 2nd level 2-year Master on Rare Diseases at Turin Med. School. He specialized in nephrology and nuclear medicine, and is presently interested in molecular medicine, specifically in the field of Realtime PCR. Prof. Roccatello has been visiting fellow at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide (Australia) lead a Research Collaboration with the Pathology Department Brown University of Providence, Rhode Island, USA, was visitor Investigator at the Department of Immunology and Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, USA and Attaché Associé Scientifique at the Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire of Grenoble (France). He has authored 400 scientific articles, 118 of which published in Peer-reviewed International Journals, in the fields of nephrology, clinical immunology and laboratory medicine.

Lorenzo Emmi is Head of the Reference Center for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, at AOU Careggi Hospital, Florence, and Full Professor of immunoallergology in several medical schools at Florence University. He is author of many articles in international peer-reviewed journals and author/editor of volumes related to his field of activity. He has lead a group of rheumatologists in the preparation of Regional guidelines on systemic autoimmune diseases and is currently in charge, as head of the Center for Autoimmune Diseases, of establishing a regional network on allergologic diseases for the Tuscany region. Dr. Emmi is series editor with Professor Domenico Prisco.