Scientific Personnel

Brief Bio

Dimitrios T. Boumpas, graduated from the Medical School of the University of Ioannina in 1983. Following a fellowship in Molecular Immunology at National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda MD, he trained in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University, Washington DC and in Rheumatology-Clinical Immunology at ARB, NIAMS, NIH. Upon the completion of his training, he was appointed an Investigator at ARB, NIAMS, NIH where he served as Deputy and Acting Clinical Director.

In 1999 he repatriated to the University of Crete to lead the Departments of Rheumatology, Clinical immunology and Allergy, and Internal Medicine. While in Crete, Professor Boumpas Directed the Graduate Program on the Molecular Basis of Human Diseases.In 2012 he joined the Medical School, University of Athens where he currently serves as the Chairman of the Fourth Department of Medicine at the “Attikon” University Hospital. He is also an Affiliated Member of the Institute for Biomedical Research of the Academy of Athens

Dr Boumpas primary clinical and research interests are in the areas of human autoimmunity with emphasis on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and inflammatory arthritis. His work on the treatment of lupus nephritis has shaped immunosuppressive therapy for autoimmune rheumatic diseases internationally. He is also a leader in the transcriptomic analysis in human systemic autoimmunity. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers and books chapters with over ISI 16.995 citations (h-index = 68) . His research was funded by both National (ΕΠΕΑΕΚ ΙΙ, Πυθαγόρας Ι, ΙΙ, Ηράκλειτος, Θαλής, Αριστεία) και European Union research funds (ΑUTOCURE FP-6; BTCURE, IMI, HORIZON 2020, ERC Advanced Grants).

Dr. Boumpas is President of the Athens Medical Society and member of the Academia Europaea. He is also Chair r of European Task force on SLE that develops guidelines for the management and coordinates clinical trials and research on SLE and Associate Editor of Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. He is past-Chair of the European Research Council Panel for Advanced Grants on Diagnostics Tools), Therapies and Public Health (LS-7) and has served on the EU ESRFI Committee for Translational Research Infrastructures.

Selected Publications

Boumpas DT, Austin HA III, Vaughan EM, Klippel JH, Steinberg AD, Yarboro CH, Balow JE.:  Controlled trial of pulse methylprednisolone versus two regimens of pulse cyclophosphamide in severe lupus nephritis.  Lancet 340:741-5, 1992. 

Paliogianni F, Raptis A, Ahuja SS, Najjar SM, Boumpas DT:  Negative transcriptional regulation of the human interleukin 2 (IL-2) gene by glucocorticoids through interference with nuclear transcription factors AP-1 and NF-AT.  J Clin Invest 91:1481-9, 1993. 

Hama N, Paliogianni F, Fessler BJ, Boumpas DT:  Calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II downregulates both calcineurin and protein kinase C mediated pathways for cytokine gene transcription in human T cells.  J Exp Med 181:1217-22, 1995. 

Paliogianni F, Kincaid RL, Boumpas DT:  Prostaglandin E2 and other cyclic AMP elevating agents inhibit interleukin 2 gene transcription by counteracting calcineurin-dependent pathways.  J Exp Med 178:1813-7, 1993

Kuroiwa T, Schlimgen R, Illei G, McInnes IB, Boumpas DT. Distinct T cell/renal tubular epithelial cell interactions define differential chemokine production:  implications for tubulointerstitial injury in chronic glomerulonephritides.  J Immunol. 2000 Mar 15; 164(6):3323-9.

Illei GG, Austin HA, Crane M, Collins L, Gourley MF, Yarboro CH, Vaughan EM, Kuroiwa T, Danning CL, Steinberg AD, Klippel JH, Balow JE, Boumpas DT . Combining pulse cyclophosphamide with pulse methylprednisolone improves long-term renal outcome in patients with lupus nephritis without added toxicity.  Ann Intern Med. 2001;135:248

Boumpas DT, Furie R, Manzi S, Illei GG, Wallace DJ, Balow JE, Vaishnaw A; BG9588 Lupus Nephritis Trial Group. A short course of BG9588 (anti-CD40 ligand antibody) improves serologic activity and decreases hematuria in patients with proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis. Arthritis Rheum 2003 Mar;48(3):719-27. 

Papadimitraki E, Choulaki  C, Koutala E, Bertsias G, Tsatsanis C, Gergianaki I, Raptopoulou A, Kritikos H, Mamalaki C, Sidiropoulos P and Boumpas DT. Expansion of TLR-9 expressing B-cells in active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: implications for the induction and maintenance of the autoimmune process. Arthritis Rheum. 2006 54:3601-11.

Nakou M, Knowlton N, Papadaki E, Raptopoulou A, Sidiropoulos P, Kritikos H, Tassiulas I, Centola M, Boumpas DT. Gene expression in the bone marrow vs peripheral blood in human systemic lupus erythematosus: bone marrow better differentiates active from inactive patients and displays apoptosis and granulopoiesis signature.  Arthritis & Rheum 2008 Nov;58(11):3541-9.

Bertsias GK, Ioannidis JP, Boletis J, Bombardieri S, Cervera R, Dostal C, Font J, Gilboe IM, Houssiau F, Huizinga T, Isenberg D, Kallenberg CG, Khamashta M, Piette JC, Schneider M, Smolen J, Sturfelt G, Tincani A, van Vollenhoven R, Gordon C, Boumpas DT. EULAR recommendations for the management of Systemic Lupus Erytematosus (SLE). Ann Rheum Dis. 67:195-05, 2008.

Bertsias G, Christianna Choulaki, Magda Nakou, Amalia Raptopoulou, Eleni Koutala, Eva Papadimitraki, George Goulielmos, Herakles Kritikos, Prodromos Sidiropoulos, Maria Tzardi, Dimitrios Kardasis, Clio Mamalaki, Dimitrios T. Boumpas. Genetic, immunologic and immunohistochemical analysis of the PD-1/PD-L1 system in human systemic lupus erythematosus Arthritis & Rheum. 2009 Jan;60(1):207-18.

Stagakis E, Bertsias G, Verginis P, Nakou M, Hatziapostolou M, Kritikos H, Iliopoulos D, Boumpas DT.Identification of novel microRNA signatures linked to human lupus disease activity and pathogenesis: miR-21 regulates aberrant T cell responses through regulation of PDCD4 expression. Ann Rheum Dis. 2011 Aug;70(8):1496-506. Epub 2011 May 20

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