[FG] Trendelenburg Marten

The research group Clinical Immunology is located at the Department of Biomedicine (DBM) as well as at the Department of Clinical Research (DKF). In our clinical studies we were and still are analysing the role of anti-C1q as a biomarker in SLE patients and it’s relation to previous Epstein Barr Virus infection. In addition and thanks to the participation in the Swiss SLE Cohort Study (SSCS) we are also studying the role of other autoantibodies and serum cytokines in SLE.

Independent from anti-C1q studies, we are studying the role of complement split products (i.e. activation parameters) and complement mannan-binding lectin (MBL) in clinical settings. MBL is strongly related to C1q and has been shown to play an important role in the defense against infectious agents. More recent studies suggest that MBL also binds to apoptotic cells and plays a pro-inflammatory role in experimental settings of ischemia-reperfusion injury. The high frequency of functional MBL deficiency in the general population (about 25 %) predestines MBL for clinical studies investigating its role in human disease.