We are a leading healthcare campus encompassing all fields of health: from healthcare and research to teaching and management.
Professionalism, commitment and research by professionals on the Campus are the key elements in offering patients excellent care.
We are committed to research as a tool to provide solutions to the daily challenges we face in the field of medical healthcare.
Thanks to our healthcare, teaching and research potential, we work to incorporate new knowledge to generate value for patients, professionals and the organization itself.
We generate, transform and transmit knowledge in all areas of the health sciences, helping to train the professionals of the future.
We are defined by our vocation for communication. We invite you to share everything that happens at Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, and our doors are always open.
Hospital donations
Research donations
A study from the Vall d’Hebron Campus demonstrates that the Ex Vivo C5b-9 deposition test is useful for monitoring the activity of the complement system (CS) in patients with aHUS or transplant-associated TMA.
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare genetic disease that causes the formation of clots in the blood capillaries (thrombotic microangiopathy, TMA) in any organ, but with greater impact on the kidney vasculature, leading to renal failure. It is caused by a malfunction of the complement system (CS), a group of blood proteins involved in the innate immune system. In the context of aHUS, the CS is chronically and uncontrollably activated, leading to excessive formation of the C5b-9 component on the cells of the blood vessels, simultaneously promoting clot formation. The CS can also be secondarily altered for other reasons, such as transplantation.
The Ex Vivo C5b-9 deposition test is an in vitro test that detects abnormal CS activity on cultured endothelial cells. Thanks to this test, we can determine if the affected person has TMA associated with CS alterations (whether aHUS or secondary TMA) and determine the degree of disease activity.
The Translational Immunology research group, together with the Nephrology and Transplants group from VHIR, the Pediatric Nephrology service, and the Hematology service from Vall d’Hebron Hospital, have joined forces to demonstrate the utility of the test. The study sample published in Kireports included adult and pediatric patients with aHUS and also patients with TMA associated with kidney and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
According to the study results, the Ex Vivo C5b-9 test is a useful tool not only for detecting CS activity in patients with aHUS and transplant-associated TMA but also for monitoring the activity level. This allows for a broader spectrum of patients to benefit from the test and also to personalize the medication plan based on the disease activity level.
Currently, the test is performed at VHIR as a research trial, but efforts are being made to automate the process and, therefore, implement it at a clinical level. Research lines are also being opened in other renal pathologies where the CS might also be involved.
The acceptance of these terms implies that you give your consent to the processing of your personal data for the provision of the services you request through this portal and, if applicable, to carry out the necessary procedures with the administrations or public entities involved in the processing. You may exercise the mentioned rights by writing to web@vallhebron.cat, clearly indicating in the subject line “Exercise of LOPD rights”. Responsible entity: Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Catalan Institute of Health). Purpose: Subscription to the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus newsletter, where you will receive news, activities, and relevant information. Legal basis: Consent of the data subject. Data sharing: If applicable, with VHIR. No other data transfers are foreseen. No international transfer of personal data is foreseen. Rights: Access, rectification, deletion, and data portability, as well as restriction and objection to its processing. The user may revoke their consent at any time. Source: The data subject. Additional information: Additional information can be found at https://hospital.vallhebron.com/es/politica-de-proteccion-de-datos.