Introduction

Clinical autoimmunity research has been carried out in Estonia at the University of Tartu starting from 1960s. However, the wider activites have been taken place since the beginning of 1980s when Tartu University Hospital started to use routine immunofluorescence autoantibody assays. Later on, different autoantibody diagnostic tests were introduced in Tartu University Hospital and other central hospitals in Estonia. In parallel, the knowledge about autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases have been distributed country-wide. This is well supported by the residency training since 2014 when full speciality of allergology-immunology was introduced in the Estonian medicare system.

In Estonian:
Kliinilise autoimmuunsuse alane teadustegevus Eestis sai alguse Tartu Ülikoolis 1960-ndatel. Laiaulatuslikum tegevus on aga toimunud alates 1980-ndatest, mil Tartus alustati rutiinselt autoantikehade määramisega immuuunfluorestsentsmeetodil. Edaspidi on jätkunud uute autoantikehade uuringute kasutuselevõtt Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikumi Ühendlaboris, samuti teiste suuremate haiglate laborites. Samaaegselt on suurenenud Eesti arstide teadlikkus ja teadmised nii autoimmuunsuse kui autoimmuunhaiguste osas. Seda arengut toetab edukalt 2014 a. käivitatud residentuuri õpe allergoloogia-immunoloogia erialal.

Contacts

Liisa Kuhi, MD, Head of the Laboratory, East-Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn, liisa.kuhi@itkh.ee  , phone +372 6207241

Raivo Uibo, MD, PhD, Professor of Immunology, University of Tartu, Tartu, raivo.uibo@ut.ee  , phone +372 7374231 or +372 7374230 (secr.)

Team members

Meeli Glükmann, MD, SYNLAB Tallinn Lab, Tallinn

Liisa Kuhi, MD, East-Tallinn  Central Hospital, Tallinn

Reet Kuuse, MD, rheumatologist, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu

Marge Kütt, MD, North-Estonia Medical Centre, Tallinn

Kaja Metsküla, MD, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu

Maiga Mägi, MD, North-Estonia Medical Centre, Tallinn

Jekaterina Tabri, West-Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn

Raivo Uibo, MD, PhD, professor, University of Tartu, Tartu

Tiina Veldi, MD, rheumatologist, East-Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn

Maarit Veski, MD, East-Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn

Local Publications and Activities

List of publications in national journals and fora:

Aunap S, Metsküla K, Uibo R.  Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) – most significant group of diagnostic autoantibodies. Eesti Arst 2020; 99:  289-295  (in Estonian).

Jaks V, Uibo R. Autoantibodies as tools for precision medicine. Eesti Arst 2017; 96: 98-106 (in Estonian)

Uibo R. Autoimmunity. In: Textbook for Immunology 2015: 210-230  (in Estonian)

Laboratory Book for Tests in North Estonia Medical Centre, Tallinn, 2020 online https://www.regionaalhaigla.ee/et/laboriuuringud (In Estonian, test descriptions by Kütt,M and others)

Laboratory Book for Tests in Tartu University Hospital IV, Tartu 2012, 659 p. (In Estonian, test descriptions by Metsküla K, Uibo R and others)
Laboratory Book for Tests in East-Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn, 399 p. (In Estonian, test descriptions by Kuhi L and others)

Uibo R. Mechanisms of autoimmunity development and immunodiagnostics. Tallinn 1999, 32-40 (in Estonian)

Uibo R, Salupere V, Remmel H. Does diagnostics for autoimmune liver diseases corresponds to expectations? Nouk Eesti Tervishoid 1987, 6: 403-405 (in Estonian).

Our main activities are directed to exchange information on new trends in autoimmunity diagnostics, but also to cooperate in autoimmunity-related research. To support the distribution of knowledge about basic and clinical autoimmunology, regular summer schools and meetings with international participants have been organized since 1994. This activity has been important to keep contacts between autoimmunologists of three Baltic States and Nordic countries and has been supported by different international organizations and companies (EFIS, IUIS, SSI, DGfI, Phadia/Thermofisher, BD,  etc). The most recent autoimmunity summer school (named as ABC6) took place in June 2019 in Tartu.

List of serological tests for autoimmunity routinely used in Estonia is presented on webpage https://elhr.digilugu.ee/data/algandmedList.html (key - autoimmuunuuringud)