Yonsei University · Medicine
Professor Sung Soo Ahn's research lab focuses on autoimmune and systemic inflammatory diseases, with a particular emphasis on understanding disease mechanisms, identifying predictive biomarkers, and improving clinical outcomes in conditions such as adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD), IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), and lupus nephritis. The lab integrates clinical immunology with advanced imaging techniques like 18F-FDG PET/CT to assess disease activity and organ involvement, while also investigating the risks of complications such as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients receiving targeted biologic therapies. A central theme is the translation of laboratory findings into practical clinical tools for early diagnosis, risk stratification, and personalized treatment strategies.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
The 2016 EULAR/ACR/PRINTO classification criteria for MAS are potentially useful for the identification of patients with AOSD at high risk for a poor outcome. Febrile patients with AOSD should be monitored with the 2016 classification criteria for MAS in the early diagnosis and proper treatment of MAS.
Our data showed that increased risk of malignancy, especially lymphomas, was observed in Korean IgG4-RD patients.
NLR at diagnosis can estimate vasculitis activity at diagnosis and predict relapse during follow-up in patients with AAV.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of <sup>18</sup>F-FDG uptake by the spleen in patients with autoimmune disease. <b>Methods:</b> We retrospectively reviewed Severance Hospital's electronic medical records of patients hospitalized for the evaluation of fever who underwent <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT. We found 91 patients with autoimmune diseases and 101 patients with localized infection. <sup>18</sup>F-FDG uptake was assessed by measuring SUV in the spleen and liv
Our data suggest that anti-Sm identified at kidney biopsy might have a predictive value for the early poor outcome of biopsy-proven lupus nephritis during the follow-up period.
To investigate whether the use of IL-6 receptor antagonist (tocilizumab) might be associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, particularly in those with resolved HBV infection [HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) negative and antibody to HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) positive, serologically]. HBsAg, anti-HBc, antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), and HBV DNA titers were measured in RA patients who had continuously received tocilizumab for more than 3 months. Patient
The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which is calculated using serum albumin level and total lymphocyte count in the peripheral blood, is regarded as an index that reflects the immunonutritional status of patients. PNI was calculated in 217 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients according to the following formula: 10 × serum albumin value (g/dL) + 0.005 × peripheral lymphocyte count (/mm<sup>3</sup>). Pearson's correlation analysis was used to elucidate the correlation between continuous
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized with aberrant responses in the immune systems and lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most serious complications of SLE. This study evaluated the clinical significance of different nutritional indices in 207 renal biopsy-proven LN patients. The clinical and laboratory data were reviewed, and five different nutritional indices were calculated: (i) Controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score; (ii) prognostic nutritional index (PNI); (iii) nutriti
Prognostic nutritional index at diagnosis might be useful for assessing disease severity and predicting the prognosis of AAV patients.
Membranous lipodystrophy, an uncommon disorder, was described by Nasu et al. in 1973 as a form of regressive degeneration or localized destruction of the adipose tissue. Clinical features of the lesions with membranous fat necrosis are variable and the condition can only be diagnosed histopathologically. These peculiar changes in fat tissue have been associated with many local and systemic diseases including lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus, erythema nodosum, stasis dermatitis, morphoea an
We compared the results and differences of indeterminate rates between the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold PLUS (QFT-PLUS) tests in patients with rheumatic diseases and analyzed the associated factors. Data of patients with rheumatic diseases who had undergone the QFT-GIT or QFT-PLUS test were used, and information regarding patient demographics, primary diagnosis, laboratory results, and medications was collected. Furthermore, indeterminate result rates of the pati
Portal hypertension causes portosystemic shunting along the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in gastrointestinal varices. Rectal varices and their bleeding is a rare complication, but it can be fatal without appropriate treatment. However, because of its rarity, no established treatment strategy is yet available. In the setting of intractable rectal variceal bleeding, a transjugular intravenous portosystemic shunt can be a treatment of choice to enable portal decompression and thus achieve hemo
In conclusion, clinical outcomes of early and delayed lupus nephritis are not significantly different. Rigorous adherence to current treatment recommendations is essential for the treatment of lupus nephritis.
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