Sarcoidosis Epidemiology Research Team

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that mostly affects the pulmonary and lymphatic systems. Annually, about 1100 individuals are diagnosed with sarcoidosis in Sweden. Our team uses comprehensive high-quality healthcare data to conduct large-scale investigations of risk factors and patient outcomes in sarcoidosis.

Who we are

Our research group in sarcoidosis epidemiology is part of the Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Epidemiology research section based at the Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine Solna.

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Elizabeth Arkema

Principal Researcher
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Marios Rossides

Affiliated to Research
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Marina Dehara

Project Coordinator

Our vision and mission

Our overarching goal is to better understand the causes and consequences of sarcoidosis. 

Specifically, our aims are to:

  • Identify risk factors for sarcoidosis
  • Reduce the time from symptoms to diagnosis
  • Improve treatment strategies for sarcoidosis
  • Minimize the long-term consequences of sarcoidosis

Our mission is to provide evidence-based answers to etiological and clinical questions using epidemiological methods.

Our data

Sweden’s high quality and comprehensive healthcare data allow us to conduct large-scale investigations of risk factors for and outcomes after sarcoidosis. These nationwide data from health and demographic registers form the basis of our data repository for sarcoidosis research. It is further enriched by the inclusion of clinical and laboratory data for about 1500 individuals included in the sarcoidosis clinical cohort at Karolinska University Hospital.

Our work is supported by grants from, among others, the Swedish Research Council, Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, Swedish Society for Medicine, Sfo Epidemiology, and Karolinska Institutet Research Foundation.

Collaborations

Our work brings together the expertise of clinicians, immunologists and epidemiologists. Collaborations are essential for the exchange of expertise from all scientific fields and we welcome researchers interested in sarcoidosis research to contact us.

Currently, we work closely with the following divisions:

  • Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet
  • Respiratory Medicine, Theme Inflammation and Infection, Karolinska University Hospital
  • Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet
  • Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital
  • Pulmonary Medicine, Section of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University
  • Biobanken Norr, Laboratoriemedicin Västerbotten, Region Västerbotten

Selected publications

Infection risk in sarcoidosis patients treated with methotrexate compared to azathioprine: A retrospective 'target trial' emulated with Swedish real-world data.
Rossides M, Kullberg S, Di Giuseppe D, Eklund A, Grunewald J, Askling J, et al
Respirology 2021 Jan

Maternal and infant outcomes in sarcoidosis pregnancy: a Swedish population-based cohort study of first births.
Köcher L, Rossides M, Remaeus K, Grunewald J, Eklund A, Kullberg S, et al
Respir Res 2020 Aug;21(1):225

Sarcoidosis epidemiology: recent estimates of incidence, prevalence and risk factors.
Arkema EV, Cozier YC
Curr Opin Pulm Med 2020 Sep;26(5):527-534

Risk of first and recurrent serious infection in sarcoidosis: a Swedish register-based cohort study.
Rossides M, Kullberg S, Eklund A, Di Giuseppe D, Grunewald J, Askling J, et al
Eur Respir J 2020 Sep;56(3):2000767

Are infectious diseases risk factors for sarcoidosis or a result of reverse causation? Findings from a population-based nested case-control study.
Rossides M, Kullberg S, Askling J, Eklund A, Grunewald J, Di Giuseppe D, et al
Eur J Epidemiol 2020 Nov;35(11):1087-1097

Sarcoidosis diagnosis and treatment in Sweden: A register-based assessment of variations by region and calendar period.
Rossides M, Kullberg S, Eklund A, Grunewald J, Arkema EV
Respir Med 2020 Jan;161:105846

Sarcoidosis.
Grunewald J, Grutters JC, Arkema EV, Saketkoo LA, Moller DR, Müller-Quernheim J
Nat Rev Dis Primers 2019 Jul;5(1):45

Work ability before and after sarcoidosis diagnosis in Sweden.
Arkema EV, Eklund A, Grunewald J, Bruze G
Respir Med 2018 Nov;144S:S7-S12

Epidemiology of sarcoidosis: current findings and future directions.
Arkema EV, Cozier YC
Ther Adv Chronic Dis 2018 Nov;9(11):227-240

Familial aggregation and heritability of sarcoidosis: a Swedish nested case-control study.
Rossides M, Grunewald J, Eklund A, Kullberg S, Di Giuseppe D, Askling J, et al
Eur Respir J 2018 08;52(2):1800385

Sarcoidosis mortality in Sweden: a population-based cohort study.
Rossides M, Kullberg S, Askling J, Eklund A, Grunewald J, Arkema EV
Eur Respir J 2018 02;51(2):1701815

Sarcoidosis incidence and prevalence: a nationwide register-based assessment in Sweden.
Arkema EV, Grunewald J, Kullberg S, Eklund A, Askling J
Eur Respir J 2016 12;48(6):1690-1699

Written about our work

Contact or visit us

You can reach us via the following channels:

MR
Content reviewer:
21-04-2024