Edwards, Dr Christopher

BSc, MBBS, MD FRCP  

Speciality

Rheumatology 

Sub-speciality

Inflammatory rheumatic illness with interests in rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, connective tissue diseases and vasculitis 

Training and Education

Medical school: Kings College School of Medicine
House Officer: Kings College Hospital
Senior House Officer: Hammersmith Hospital and St Georges Hospital
Registar: Guys and St Thomas Hospitals
Senior Registrar: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and Charing Cross Hospital
Consultant: Tan Tock Seng Hospital Singapore 

Experience

Dr Edwards has worked for Southampton University Hospitals Trust since August 2001.

Dr Christopher Edwards is Consultant Rheumatologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust in the United Kingdom and Associate Director of the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility in Southampton.  He graduated from Kings College School of Medicine and then undertook training in rheumatology at hospitals in London.  This included being Lecturer/Senior Registrar to Professor Sir Ravinder Maini at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology.  While at the Kennedy Institute Dr Edwards was involved in early trials of biological therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and completed his MD thesis at Imperial College.  Dr Edwards spent a year in the Department of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore where he gained experience in the management of patients with severe SLE.  After returning to Southampton Dr Edwards has continued with an active research programme looking at the epidemiology of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, the influence of environment on the development of RA and SLE and new therapies for these diseases. 

Key achievements

Setting up a Lupus clinic at Southampton General Hospital 

Key awards and prizes

Winners Hospital Doctor Rheumatology Team of the Year 2005
NRAS Rheumatology Team Healthcare Champions 2006
Medic Alert Healthcare Professional of the Year Award for Hospital Care 2007 

Research

1: Westlake S, Edwards C.
 Anti-malarials and Lupus in West Africa use and lupus in Africans.
Lupus. 2009;18(3):193-5. No abstract available.
PMID: 19213855 [PubMed - in process]

2: Visser K, Katchamart W, Loza E, Martinez-Lopez JA, Salliot C, Trudeau J,
Bombardier C, Carmona L, van der Heijde D, Bijlsma JW, Boumpas DT, Canhao H,
Edwards CJ, Hamuryudan V, Kvien TK, Leeb BF, Martín-Mola EM, Mielants H,
Müller-Ladner U, Murphy G, Ostergaard M, Pereira IA, Ramos-Remus C, Valentini G,
Zochling J, Dougados M.
 Multinational evidence-based recommendations for the use of methotrexate in
rheumatic disorders with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis: integrating systematic
literature research and expert opinion of a broad international panel of
rheumatologists in the 3E Initiative.
Ann Rheum Dis. 2008 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 19033291 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

3: Bowen CJ, Dewbury K, Sampson M, Sawyer S, Burridge J, Edwards CJ, Arden NK.
 Musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging of the plantar forefoot in patients with
rheumatoid arthritis: inter-observer agreement between a podiatrist and a
radiologist.
J Foot Ankle Res. 2008 Jul 28;1(1):5.
PMID: 18822149 [PubMed - in process]

4: Polosa R, Di Mauro C, Spampinato B, Castelli L, D'Amico G, Edwards CJ, Russo
C.
 A patient with antihistidyl-tRNA synthetase positive polymyositis presenting as
acute respiratory distress syndrome.
J Clin Rheumatol. 2008 Aug;14(4):219-21.
PMID: 18766122 [PubMed - in process]

5: Thomas SL, Edwards CJ, Smeeth L, Cooper C, Hall AJ.
 How accurate are diagnoses for rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic
arthritis in the general practice research database?
Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Sep 15;59(9):1314-21.
PMID: 18759262 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

6: Edwards CJ.
 Commensal gut bacteria and the etiopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.
J Rheumatol. 2008 Aug;35(8):1477-14797. No abstract available.
PMID: 18671318 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

7: Polosa R, Edwards CJ.
 Tacrolimus for antisynthetase syndrome with interstitial lung disease?
Eur Respir J. 2008 Jul;32(1):244-5; author reply 245-6. No abstract available.
Erratum in: Eur Respir J. 2008 Sep;32(3):822.
PMID: 18591348 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

8: Edwards CJ, Hughes GR.
 Hughes syndrome (the antiphospholipid syndrome): 25 years old.
Mod Rheumatol. 2008;18(2):119-24. Epub 2008 Mar 4. Review.
PMID: 18317878 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

9: Edwards CJ, Syddall H, Jameson K, Williams EL, Polosa R, Goswami R, Dennison
EM, Arden NK, Cooper C; Hertfordshire Cohort Study Group.
 The presence of anticardiolipin antibodies in adults may be influenced by
infections in infancy.
QJM. 2008 Jan;101(1):41-7.
PMID: 18203724 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

10: Edwards CJ, Cooper C, Fisher D, Field M, van Staa TP, Arden NK.
 The importance of the disease process and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug
treatment in the development of septic arthritis in patients with rheumatoid
arthritis.
Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Oct 15;57(7):1151-7.
PMID: 17907232 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

11: Williams EL, Endean AL, Edwards CJ.
 Myocardial infarction in a young man with antiphospholipid syndrome and cocaine
use.
Lupus. 2007;16(6):444-6.
PMID: 17664236 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

12: Edwards CJ, Syddall H, Goswami R, Goswami P, Dennison EM, Arden NK, Cooper C;
Hertfordshire Cohort Study Group.
 The autoantibody rheumatoid factor may be an independent risk factor for
ischaemic heart disease in men.
Heart. 2007 Oct;93(10):1263-7. Epub 2007 Jun 5.
PMID: 17550930 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

13: Edwards CJ, Feldman JL, Beech J, Shields KM, Stover JA, Trepicchio WL, Larsen
G, Foxwell BM, Brennan FM, Feldmann M, Pittman DD.
 Molecular profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with
rheumatoid arthritis.
Mol Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;13(1-2):40-58.
PMID: 17515956 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

14: Edwards CJ, Polosa R.
 Study of infliximab treatment in asthma.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007 Jan 15;175(2):196; author reply 196-7. No
abstract available.
PMID: 17200507 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

15: Edwards CJ, Cooper C.
 Early environmental exposure and the development of lupus.
Lupus. 2006;15(11):814-9. Review.
PMID: 17153856 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

16: Edwards CJ, James JA.
 Making lupus: a complex blend of genes and environmental factors is required to
cross the disease threshold.
Lupus. 2006;15(11):713-4. No abstract available.
PMID: 17153839 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

17: Williams EL, Edwards CJ.
 Patient preferences in choosing anti-TNF therapies-R1.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2006 Dec;45(12):1575-6. Epub 2006 Nov 3. No abstract
available.
PMID: 17085468 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

18: Edwards CJ, Arden NK.
 Commentary: statins and fracture--why the confusion?
Int J Epidemiol. 2006 Oct;35(5):1312-3. No abstract available.
PMID: 17053014 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

19: Edwards CJ, Syddall H, Goswami R, Goswami P, Dennison EM, Cooper C.
 Infections in infancy and the presence of antinuclear antibodies in adult life.
Lupus. 2006;15(4):213-7.
PMID: 16686260 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

20: Edwards CJ, Cooper C.
 Early environmental factors and rheumatoid arthritis.
Clin Exp Immunol. 2006 Jan;143(1):1-5. Review.
PMID: 16367927 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

21: Westlake S, Edwards CJ.
 Pulmonary nodular amyloidosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Lupus. 2005;14(8):639-40. No abstract available.
PMID: 16175939 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

22: Edwards CJ.
 Immunological therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.
Br Med Bull. 2005 Sep 20;73-74:71-82. Print 2005. Review.
PMID: 16174791 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

23: Edwards CJ, Goswami R, Goswami P, Syddall H, Dennison EM, Arden NK, Cooper C.
 Growth and infectious exposure during infancy and the risk of rheumatoid factor
in adult life.
Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 Mar;65(3):401-4. Epub 2005 Aug 3.
PMID: 16079171 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

24: Edwards CJ.
 Environmental factors and lupus: are we looking too late?
Lupus. 2005;14(6):423-5. Review. No abstract available.
PMID: 16038104 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

25: Edwards CJ, Arden NK, Fisher D, Saperia JC, Reading I, Van Staa TP, Cooper C.
 The changing use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in individuals with
rheumatoid arthritis from the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2005 Nov;44(11):1394-8. Epub 2005 Jul 19.
PMID: 16030083 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

26: Strivens RL, Bateman A, Arden NK, Edwards CJ.
 Intestinal perforation and jejunal haemorrhage due to Wegener's granulomatosis.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2005 Jan-Feb;23(1):124. No abstract available.
PMID: 15789904 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

27: Kong KO, Badsha H, Lian TY, Edwards CJ, Chng HH.
 Low-dose pulse methylprednisolone is an effective therapy for severe SLE flares.
Lupus. 2004;13(3):212-3. No abstract available.
PMID: 15119552 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

28: Cheng YK, Leo SW, Edwards CJ, Koh ET.
 Primary meningococcal arthritis and endogenous endophthalmitis: a case report.
Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2003 Sep;32(5):706-9. Review.
PMID: 14626806 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

29: Edwards CJ, Lian TY, Badsha H, Teh CL, Arden N, Chng HH.
 Hospitalization of individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus: characteristics
and predictors of outcome.
Lupus. 2003;12(9):672-6.
PMID: 14514129 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

30: Lian TY, Edwards CJ, Chan SP, Chng HH.
 Reversible acute gastrointestinal syndrome associated with active systemic lupus
erythematosus in patients admitted to hospital.
Lupus. 2003;12(8):612-6.
PMID: 12945720 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

31: Badsha H, Edwards CJ.
 Intravenous pulses of methylprednisolone for systemic lupus erythematosus.
Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2003 Jun;32(6):370-7. Review.
PMID: 12833245 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

32: Jordan KM, Edwards CJ, Arden NK.
 Allergic vasculitis associated with celecoxib.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2002 Dec;41(12):1453-5. Review. No abstract available.
PMID: 12468830 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

33: Edwards CJ, Lian TY, Chng HH.
 Cushing's syndrome caused by treatment of gout with traditional Chinese medicine.
QJM. 2002 Oct;95(10):705. No abstract available.
PMID: 12324644 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

34: Badsha H, Kong KO, Lian TY, Chan SP, Edwards CJ, Chng HH.
 Low-dose pulse methylprednisolone for systemic lupus erythematosus flares is
efficacious and has a decreased risk of infectious complications.
Lupus. 2002;11(8):508-13.
PMID: 12220105 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

35: Edwards CJ, Spector TD.
 Statins as modulators of bone formation.
Arthritis Res. 2002;4(3):151-3. Epub 2002 Jan 21. Review.
PMID: 12010563 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

36: Edwards CJ.
 Statins and bone morphogenetic proteins: new pathways in bone formation.
Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2002 Mar;31(2):245-7.
PMID: 11957568 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

37: Badsha H, Edwards CJ, Chng HH.
 Melioidosis in systemic lupus erythematosus: the importance of early diagnosis
and treatment in patients from endemic areas.
Lupus. 2001;10(11):821-3.
PMID: 11789494 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

38: Edwards CJ.
 Lupus in Singapore.
Lupus. 2001;10(12):889-91. Review. No abstract available. Erratum in: Lupus
2002;11(3):200.
PMID: 11787882 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

39: Edwards CJ, Russell RG, Spector TD.
 Statins and bone: myth or reality?
Calcif Tissue Int. 2001 Aug;69(2):63-6. Review.
PMID: 11683424 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

40: Edwards CJ, Francis-West PH.
 Bone morphogenetic proteins in the development and healing of synovial joints.
Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2001 Aug;31(1):33-42. Review.
PMID: 11503137 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

41: Zvaifler NJ, Marinova-Mutafchieva L, Adams G, Edwards CJ, Moss J, Burger JA,
Maini RN.
 Mesenchymal precursor cells in the blood of normal individuals.
Arthritis Res. 2000;2(6):477-88. Epub 2000 Aug 31.
PMID: 11056678 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

42: Edwards CJ, Hart DJ, Spector TD.
 Oral statins and increased bone-mineral density in postmenopausal women.
Lancet. 2000 Jun 24;355(9222):2218-9.
PMID: 10881898 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

43: Stevens RJ, Andujar C, Edwards CJ, Ames PR, Barwick AR, Khamashta MA, Hughes
GR.
 Thalidomide in the treatment of the cutaneous manifestations of lupus
erythematosus: experience in sixteen consecutive patients.
Br J Rheumatol. 1997 Mar;36(3):353-9.
PMID: 9133968 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

44: Ames PR, Lupoli S, Alves J, Atsumi T, Edwards C, Iannaccone L, Khamashta MA,
Hughes GR, Brancaccio V.
 The coagulation/fibrinolysis balance in systemic sclerosis: evidence for a
haematological stress syndrome.
Br J Rheumatol. 1997 Oct;36(10):1045-50.
PMID: 9374919 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

45: Arden NK, Crozier S, Smith H, Anderson F, Edwards C, Raphael H, Cooper C.
 Knee pain, knee osteoarthritis, and the risk of fracture.
Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Aug 15;55(4):610-5.
PMID: 16874784 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]