The EIRA Study
The EIRA study aims to increase knowledge about the causes of developing rheumatic joint diseases and the factors that influence disease progression. The goal is to enable more accurate diagnoses, personalize treatments, and create better preventive measures. Today, the EIRA study is one of the largest studies in the world focusing on rheumatic joint diseases.
Study plan
Patients diagnosed with rheumatic disease (cases) or patients with joint pain but when diagnoses can’t be confirmed (clinical controls) can participate in the study. Those who choose to participate will answer the EIRA baseline questionnaire and provide blood samples. The cases are then followed up with questionnaires and blood samples one and two years after diagnosis – to monitor the disease progression.
In order to make comparisons and determine the risks of developing rheumatic joint disease, it is crucial that we also collect data from population controls. When a case agrees to participate in the EIRA study and is registered with the EIRA secretariat, two population controls are randomly selected in the system to match the case based on gender, age, and county.
The population controls receive a letter requesting them to participate in the study. If they choose to participate, they answer the EIRA baseline questionnaire and then provide a blood sample at the nearest healthcare center or hospital.
For more information about the study, please see our Swedish page.
Contact details
If you have any questions about the study, please contact us at: eira-studien@imm.ki.se.
Project coordinators:
Edit Ekström
Project CoordinatorJohanna Hellgren
Project AssistantThe project group
Project management:
- Johan Askling, professor and principal investigator.
- Lars Klareskog, professor.
- Lars Alfredsson, professor.
The secretariat:
- Caroline Öfverberg Colliander, project coordinator.
- Edit Ekström, project coordinator.
- Johanna Hellgren, project assistant.
- Marina Dehara, database administrator.