Rheumatology and Immunology

The Department of Rheumatology and Immunology opened its outpatient clinic in August 1999 and established its inpatient ward in March 2003. It was the earliest department of rheumatology and immunology established in the Qingdao region and one of the earliest in Shandong Province.

The department’s professional team and medical capacity have gradually expanded, and its academic standing has continuously improved. It currently has 12 physicians, including 1 chief physician (professor), 3 associate chief physicians, 4 attending physicians, and 4 resident physicians. In terms of academic qualifications, there are 4 physicians with doctoral degrees and 8 with master’s degrees. All graduated from formal rheumatology and immunology programs at well-known domestic universities. The ward has 40 beds. It currently receives more than 50000 outpatient visits and discharges more than 1000 inpatients annually. At present, the department is a standing committee member unit of the Rheumatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, a deputy chairperson unit of the Rheumatology Branch of the Shandong Medical Association, a chairperson unit of the Rheumatology Branch of the Qingdao Medical Association, a committee member unit of the Rheumatology and Immunology Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and a deputy chairperson unit of the Rheumatology and Immunology Physicians Branch of the Shandong Medical Doctor Association.

After 15 years of development, the department’s medical expertise has gradually improved, and standardized diagnosis and treatment of various rheumatic and immune diseases have been carried out. These include ① various types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, various seronegative spondyloarthropathies (ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, enteropathic arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease), osteoarthritis, and gouty arthritis; ② connective tissue diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), dermatomyositis/polymyositis, and Sjögren’s syndrome; ③ systemic vasculitis (Takayasu arteritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangiitis, allergic granulomatous vasculitis, polyarteritis nodosa, and Behçet’s disease); ④ other rare diseases, such as polymyalgia rheumatica, relapsing polychondritis, SAPHO syndrome, and adult-onset Still’s disease. The department has gained some experience in treating critical rheumatic and immune diseases, such as lupus encephalopathy (central nervous system lupus), lupus nephritis, lupus-associated thrombocytopenia, acute lupus pneumonia/lupus alveolar hemorrhage, and interstitial lung disease caused by dermatomyositis. In recent years, biologic agents and stem cells have been applied to the treatment of rheumatic and immune diseases. Intra-articular injection therapy has been carried out for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, achieving relatively good social benefits. The department is the only specialized department in Qingdao conducting research and treatment of autoimmune liver diseases. Pain and fever are common symptoms of rheumatic and immune diseases. For more than a decade, the department has accumulated considerable experience in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of fever and pain of unknown origin. The department is equipped with complete sets of monitoring devices, treatment devices, physiotherapy equipment, and joint ultrasonography. The Clinical Immunology Testing Center specially established by the hospital is the department with the most comprehensive immunological testing related to rheumatic and immune diseases in Shandong Province.

In recent years, the department’s teaching, scientific research, and academic exchanges have continued to develop. Scientific research on systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis has been conducted. The department is a collaborative unit for the National High-Tech Research and Development Program (863) project “Molecular Subtyping and Individualized Diagnosis and Treatment Technologies for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,” a participating unit in the national “Eleventh Five-Year” Science and Technology Support Program project “Research on the Clinical Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,” and a sub-center of the collaborative group for the national “Eleventh Five-Year” Science and Technology Support Program project “Diagnosis and Treatment of Sjögren’s Syndrome.” It currently undertakes one project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation, 2 projects funded by the Shandong Outstanding Young and Middle-Aged Scientists Research Award Fund of the Shandong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, 2 projects funded by the Shandong Natural Science Foundation of the Shandong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, one project funded by the Shandong Provincial Department of Health, one project funded by the Shandong Provincial Department of Education, and 2 projects funded by the Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology. Since its establishment, the department has published more than 200 papers, of which more than 30 have been indexed by SCI, and has compiled or translated more than 10 books.

Since 2001, the department has admitted master’s students majoring in rheumatology and immunology and undertaken the education and training of master’s students at the medical school. It has currently trained more than 20 master’s students. It began admitting doctoral students in 2012, undertook seven-year undergraduate teaching in 2006, and undertook teaching and internship programs for South Asian international students in 2010. Since 2005, it has undertaken 3 provincial continuing medical education programs and one national continuing medical education program.

The department places great emphasis on professional academic exchange and actively participates in domestic and international academic conferences, including the Shandong Rheumatology Annual Conference, the National Rheumatology Annual Conference, the Huaxia Rheumatology Conference, the Asia Pacific Rheumatology Conference, the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, and the European Rheumatology Annual Meeting. Personnel are actively sent to participate in short-term training programs in rheumatology and immunology at home and abroad. Each year, lectures are given and guidance is provided for visiting physicians and rotating physicians. The department has established good collaborative relationships with Peking Union Medical College Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking University People’s Hospital, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital 301 Hospital, Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and UCLA.

Consultation telephone: Main Campus (No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao City) Outpatient Clinic 0532-82911205

West Coast Campus (West Coast Medical Center) Outpatient Clinic 0532-82919155 Ward 0532-82919638.