The London Lupus Centre

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1 WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE? At the London Lupus Centre, we provide pamphlets, books and educational material, as well as websites for further information. For doctors and researchers, the journal LUPUS is dedicated to the publication of international research into the disease. The St Thomas Lupus Trust ( and The Hughes Syndrome Foundation ( are represented at The London Lupus Centre. HOW TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT: Telephone: Telephone: londonlupuscentre@hcahealthcare.co.uk USEFUL ADDRESSES AND WEBSITES: The London Lupus Centre ( London Bridge Hospital Tooley Street, London SE1 2PR Telephone: St Thomas Lupus Trust Louise Coote Lupus Unit Gassiot House, St Thomas Hospital London SE1 7EH Tel: , Fax: fundraising@lupus.org.uk, Web: Hughes Syndrome Foundation Louise Coote Lupus Unit Gassiot House, St Thomas Hospital London SE1 7EH Tel: , Fax: hsf@btconnect.com, Web: Self Testing Kit for Hughes Syndrome ( stickyblood@tdlpathology.com) LUPUS journal ( Lupus UK ( St James House, Eastern Road Romford, Essex RM1 3NH Tel: , Fax: The London Lupus Centre London Bridge Hospital

2 The London Lupus Centre London Bridge Hospital Europe s first private dedicated Lupus Centre

3 THE LONDON LUPUS CENTRE In November 2005 a new centre, dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of lupus patients, opened at The London Bridge Hospital. This unit, designed to treat lupus patients from all over the world, is staffed by a group of physicians, all trained in the renowned St Thomas Hospital Lupus Unit London, under the leadership of Professor Graham Hughes. The Centre is designed to provide a comprehensive, state of the art diagnostic facility for patients with lupus and related conditions. The team of eight consultant physicians are all trained and experienced in the care of lupus patients. The medical team are supported by staff also experienced in lupus care, and are backed up by the medical facilities of The London Bridge Hospital. The purpose-built suite of clinic rooms and the reception area are situated in the newly refurbished St Olaf s building at London Bridge Hospital overlooking the river Thames and the City. For new patients seeking more precise diagnosis and guidance, we provide a comprehensive clinical service with a complete protocol of investigations and treatment advice. For those requiring a short admission to hospital, our team is available for full in-patient cover. This dedicated unit is headed by Professor Graham Hughes who, as the leading lupus consultant in the UK, founded the St Thomas Lupus Trust and the Hughes Syndrome Foundation. The London Lupus Centre has been established specifically to accommodate lupus patients in a friendly, reassuring environment where they receive expert advice and treatment from Professor Hughes and his team. FACILITIES PROVIDED Physicians trained under Professor Graham Hughes Lupus unit Full lupus screening Patient advice and literature Lupus pregnancy advisory service We also provide an inpatient service, a Lupus screen for those patients who need a full assessment, including comprehensive tests of kidney, cardiovascular and immunological status. Professor Hughes and his team are dedicated to finding a cure for lupus. A research facility has been established and work is on-going to discover ways of improving the outlook and lifestyle of lupus patients. We believe that, for lupus patients, there is a pressing need for a specialised clinic such as The London Lupus Centre, where patients can be given expert medical assessment, with regular follow-up and monitoring of this complex disease.

4 THE LONDON BRIDGE HOSPITAL Occupying a commanding position overlooking the River Thames and the City, the hospital offers a convenient central London location for patients and their visitors. One of the largest private hospitals in the UK, The London Bridge Hospital offers the finest surroundings and services for inpatient, outpatient and day case treatment. Over 40 specialties are represented on site, including renal dialysis, cardiothoracic and intensive care. For international patients, full translation facilities, hotel accommodation and transportation (including ambulance and air ambulance) are provided.

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6 PROFESSOR GRAHAM HUGHES Graham Hughes trained in London, then New York, where he was a pupil of Dr Charles Christian. In 1971 he set up a lupus clinic and lupus pregnancy clinic at Hammersmith Hospital in London. In 1985 he moved with his team to St Thomas Hospital, London, where he established the Louise Coote Lupus Unit, Europe s first dedicated lupus clinic. Professor Hughes has an international reputation both as a clinician and as a teacher, but also for his research work in lupus, with over 900 published papers and several textbooks. In 1983 he described the antiphospholipid syndrome now known as Hughes syndrome. In 1992, Professor Hughes and his team received the highest award in international rheumatology, the ILAR prize (International League Against Rheumatism) for their work in this field. Professor Hughes is Founder and Editor of the international journal LUPUS and is on the Editorial Board of over 30 Medical Journals. He is a member of the American Lupus Hall of Fame, and is Life President of the lupus patients charity Lupus UK. In 2001, Professor Hughes was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa in the University of Marseille, and in 2004 he was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa, in the University of Barcelona. Professor Hughes and his team have over the years contributed to changing lupus from a dreaded, often fatal and little understood disease to one where patients can look forward to leading a normal life.

7 THE TEAM In addition to Professor Graham Hughes, there are 7 consultant physicians, all trained in the St Thomas Lupus Clinic under Professor Hughes and specialised in lupus. Dr David D Cruz Dr Christopher Edwards Dr Patrick Gordon Dr Munther Khamashta Dr Ramesh Mootoo Dr Giovanni Sanna Dr Colin Tench Manager: Sandy Hampson Secretaries: Margaret Harrison Donna Lucky We are also able to offer a multi-disciplinary service with consulting specialists in nephrology, neurology, chest disease, dermatology and gynaecology, all of whom have worked with Professor Hughes and his team. DAVID D CRUZ Dr David D Cruz is a Consultant Rheumatologist in the Louise Coote Lupus Unit at St Thomas Hospital. His major clinical and research interests are systemic lupus erythematosus, the antiphospholipid syndrome and systemic vasculitis. He trained at St Mary s Hospital Medical School in London. Senior House Officer and Registrar rotations at University College and the Royal London Hospital were followed by a clinical registrar post and then an ARC Clinical Research Fellowship at St Thomas Hospital leading to an MD degree. He was appointed Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology at St Bartholomew s and The Royal London Hospitals following a Senior Registrar post there. Dr D Cruz has published 110 peer reviewed papers, 25 editorials and reviews and 15 book chapters. He is one of the Managing Editors of the journal Lupus and is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Autoimmune Diseases.

8 CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS Dr Edwards is a Consultant Physician and Senior Lecturer at Southampton University Hospital where he runs the Southampton Lupus Clinic. Dr Edwards trained under Professor Hughes at St Thomas Hospital, and at the Hammersmith Hospital and the Kennedy Institute in London. He also spent a year treating lupus patients at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore. Dr Edwards particular research interests are the effects of the environment on lupus and new biologic therapies for the treatment of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. PATRICK GORDON Dr. Patrick Gordon is a Consultant Physician and Rheumatologist at King s College Hospital, an internationally renowned London teaching hospital. He runs the lupus service there and has a special interest in mixed connective tissue disease and lung disease in lupus and myositis. He trained in London and worked for 4 years in the Lupus Unit at St Thomas Hospital where he obtained his PhD fellowship. He has published extensively and continues to research in the field of lupus and myositis.

9 MUNTHER KHAMASHTA Munther Khamashta was born in Bethlehem (Palestine). He studied medicine in Barcelona, Spain and trained in internal medicine in Madrid, Spain. Due to his interest in connective tissue diseases, he joined the Lupus Unit in London 17 years ago and has since worked tirelessly for the unit both clinically and in research. He runs a large lupus in pregnancy clinic at St Thomas and has published over 500 clinical and research studies in lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome and related conditions. RAMESH MOOTOO Born in Ireland and brought up in Trinidad (West Indies), he returned to medical school in Dublin, following in his father s footsteps. After graduating in 1986, he did his post-graduate training in London specialising in general Medicine and Rheumatology. He developed an interest in Systemic Lupus while working as a Registrar for Professor Graham Hughes at St Thomas in 1993.

10 GIOVANNI SANNA Dr Sanna was appointed a Consultant in General Internal Medicine and Rheumatology at the Homerton University Hospital in 1999 and has a Special Interest Lupus Clinic. He is a consultant rheumatologist at the Homerton University Hospital, London. He has a special interest in connective tissue diseases, in particular SLE and related disorders. His research and publications are clinical manifestations and management of neurologic disease in lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome. COLIN TENCH Dr Colin Tench is working as a Consultant Rheumatologist and General Physician at St Mary s Hospital. He qualified from Cambridge University Medical School in 1990 and trained at the Royal London Hospital, University College London Hospitals and the Hammersmith Hospital. He is specialised in the treatment of lupus and runs a weekly lupus outpatient clinic at St Mary s Hospital. His research interests include an investigation into the effects of aerobic exercise on fatigue and sleep quality in Lupus. He is also interested in postgraduate medical education and is Royal College of Physicians Tutor and Programme Director for Foundation Training at St Mary s Hospital.

11 WHAT IS LUPUS? Lupus is a condition in which the immune system becomes too active. It is a condition affecting women more than men (especially younger women between the ages 15 50), and is characterised by wide fluctuations. Common symptoms are fatigue, aches and pains, skin rashes (sometimes sun-sensitive). More serious complications include kidney, brain or blood involvement. In approximately one in 5 of all patients, there is a tendency to spontaneous blood clotting (Hughes syndrome). Although lupus is a serious, and sometimes fatal, disease, the outcome has improved out of all recognition. With correct diagnosis and treatment, the majority of cases can now expect a normal life span, can have normal pregnancies and can even ultimately come off all medication. WHAT IS HUGHES SYNDROME? In 1983, our group described a condition in which there was an increased tendency to blood clotting. Such clots can occur at any time, and can affect veins or arteries anywhere in the body. During pregnancy, clotting of the placenta results in a tendency to miscarriage some women suffering a dozen or more miscarriages before correct diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, it can be diagnosed by blood tests and, in most cases, successfully treated by anti-clotting medicine in some cases, with simple aspirin. OUR CHARITIES The team at The London Lupus Centre supports two charities The St Thomas Lupus Trust and the Hughes Syndrome Foundation. The St Thomas Lupus Trust, a registered charity, was set up in 1992 with the twin aims of furthering education on lupus and supporting lupus research at St Thomas Hospital. This charity currently funds the salaries of 3 doctors in the lupus clinic at St Thomas Hospital, a laboratory technician and one post-doctoral fellow. It also supports the running costs of the lupus research unit, which currently publishes some 40 research papers a year on lupus. The Hughes Syndrome Foundation funds research into Hughes syndrome, including aspects of thrombosis and recurrent miscarriage. It also supports national and international teaching initiatives and educational material aimed at improving awareness. Features include leg and arm clots (DVT s), headache and migraine (leading in some to stroke), memory loss, chest pain, cold circulation. We initially reported the condition in a group of lupus patients but soon recognised that it could occur in individuals without any evidence of lupus.