Rheumatology

One of the first in the country to develop a children’s arthritis program, the Division of Rheumatology remains a major center for the diagnosis and care of children with rheumatic and autoimmune disorders. The division is recognized throughout the world for its contributions to the care of children with rheumatic diseases.

The Division of Rheumatology and its faculty continue to occupy a prominent position in the national and international Pediatric Rheumatology Community. The division provides the major resource for care of children with rheumatic disease in the Southern California area, and serves as a major referral center for the Southern California, Nevada and Arizona regions. Treated conditions include inflammatory and non-inflammatory rheumatic diseases, ranging from life threatening vasculitides to non-inflammatory rheumatism. Treatment is facilitated by a multidisciplinary team approach and availability of a first rate inpatient Rehabilitation Center. There is close collaboration with other divisions, such as Nephrology and Orthopedics.

There are over 3500 outpatient visits per year and approximately 1500 inpatient visits conducted at CHLA, and important satellite units at Long Beach Memorial Hospital and Bakersfield. In 2001 a busy outpatient clinic was also conducted in Encino at the UCMG office.

A clinical research program was a major focus of the division’s operation, with eleven open protocols. This division has continued to be the lead enrolling site for international studies of important new therapies for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and is the primary clinical site for a R01 grant studying the genetic background of pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Collaborative studies were also undertaken with Stanford Children’s Hospital, UCSD, and Cedars Sinai Hospital.

An important development in Pediatric Rheumatology during 2001 has been the founding of the PRRN (Pediatric Rheumatology Research Network), which promises to be a leading organization in furthering collaborative international research in the field. The Division is playing a seminal role in developing this organization.

National and International Recognition

An interview with Dr. Reiff about the ethics of children in clinical trials was given a front-page position in the New York Times in Feb 2001.

National Key Committees

Dr. Reiff serves on the national advisory board of the Pediatric Rheumatology Research Network.

Offices Held

Bracha Shaham, MD

• Member, Medical and Scientific Committee Southern California Chapter, Arthritis Foundation

Andreas Reiff, MD

• Member, Research Grants Committee Southern California Chapter, Arthritis Foundation

Publications

Number of articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals 9
Number of book chapters published 1
Number of abstracts published 2

Institutional Collaborations

Outreach clinics were held in Encino and Bakersfield in addition to the major satellite program at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.

Institutions with which we collaborate in research projects include LAC+USC Medical Center, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Stanford Children’s Hospital and UCSD. Teaching services to Rheumatology Fellows were provided to LAC+USC, Loma Linda Medical Center, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, and Sepulveda VA/ Olive View Medical Center.