Bram Rutgers MD PhD

Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, UMCG Groningen

Bram Rutgers is an internist trained in immunology and is involved in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases. His research interests are focussed at ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV). AAV is a disease where patients develop an immunological response towards contents of their own neutrophils resulting in multiple organ vessel wall inflammation. Better understanding of the development of this autoimmune process and its relapses will aids in the development of better treatment options for patients with AAV. Dr Rutgers is involved in national and international efforts to improve the treatment of patients with AAV (Groningen vasculitis center, NFU-expertise center of systemic vasculitis, ARCH-AAV, EUVAS, ERN-RITA).

5 recent publications related to B-cells and antibodies

  1. Hessels, A. C., Sanders, J. S. F., Rutgers, A., & Stegeman, C. A.(2020). Gene variants and treatment outcomes in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis. Pharmacogenomics journal. https://doi.org/(…)38/s41397-020-0176-z
  2. von Borstel, A., Abdulahad, W. H., Dekkema, G., Rutgers, A., Stegeman, C. A., Veldman, J., Heeringa, P., & Sanders, J. S.(2020). Mycophenolic acid and 6-mercaptopurine both inhibit B-cell proliferation in granulomatosis with polyangiitis patients, whereas only mycophenolic acid inhibits B-cell IL-6 production. PLoS ONE, 15(7), [e0235743]. https://doi.org/(…)journal.pone.0235743
  3. von Borstel, A., Abdulahad, W. H., Sanders, J. S., Rip, J., Neys, S. F. H., Hendriks, R. W., Stegeman, C. A., Heeringa, P., Rutgers, A., & Corneth, O. B. J. (2019).Evidence for enhanced Bruton’s tyrosine kinase activity in transitional and naive B cells of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Rheumatology, 58(12), 2230-2239. https://doi.org/(…)/rheumatology/kez205
  4. Dirikgil, E., Verhoeven, P., Tas, S., Rutgers, A., Moens, H. J. B., van Laar, J., & Bos, W. J. (2019).A Dutch Consensus Statement on the Diagnosis and Treatment of ANCA Associated Vasculitis. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 71.
  5. von Borstel, A., Land, J., Abdulahad, W. H., Rutgers, A., Stegeman, C. A., Diepstra, A., Heeringa, P., & Sanders, J. S.(2019). CD27(+)CD38(hi) B Cell Frequency During Remission Predicts Relapsing Disease in Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis Patients. Frontiers in Immunology, 10, [2221]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.02221

Link to full publication list : https://www.rug.nl/staff/a.rutgers/research/publications.html

Supervision of PhD awarded candidates (research related to B-cells and antibodies)

  1. Judith Land
  2. Lucas Lintermans
  3. Anouk von Borstel

Currently supervision the PhD research of Carlo Bonasia

Target-to-B clinical lead for ANCA associated vasculitis and coordinator for the UMCG input in the Target-to-B project together with Peter Heeringa and Nico Bos

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