The GLAS cohort started in 2004 and approximately 900 patients with axial spondyloarthritis are included in the northern part of the Netherlands. The standardized protocol consists of patient characteristics, medication use, questionnaires, physical examination, biobanking (serum, plasma, DNA samples), radiology and BMD measurements.
Our main fields of research interest concern:
Our ambition is to optimize early diagnosis, prognosis and management of patients with spondyloarthritis. Therefore, we focus on different aspects of the disease: pathogenesis (unravel the role of B/T cells in SpA), clinical aspects (obtain more knowledge on clinical features and disease progression of radiographic and non-radiographic axial SpA patients) and treatment (investigate the long-term effect of anti-inflammatory treatment on PROMs and bone-related outcome; evaluation of chronic pain beyond inflammation; coping and lifestyle including physical activity).
We have international and national collaborations within the ASAS working group and the Dutch Society of Rheumatology.
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
Spondyloarthritis research group
Postbus 30.001
9700 RB Groningen
The Netherlands
Visiting address
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
Spondyloarthritis research group
Hanzeplein 1
9713 GZ Groningen
