The registry for organ specific autoimmune diseases (ROAS) and the connected Bio bank for organ specific autoimmune diseases (BOAS) are the foundations of Endocrine Medicine’s scientific efforts on organ specific autoimmune diseases.

ROAS and BOAS were established with the goal of collecting biological materials which are representative and large enough in order to research rare diseases with enough statistical power.

ROAS and BOAS were founded in 1996, and recruited at first only patients from Helse Vest (the western Norway regional health authority). ROAS was gradually and systematically expanded, and in 2012 gained the status of national medical quality registry.

ROAS has its own research group, patient registry, blood bank, secretariat, as well as laboratory for analysis of biological samples. ROAS is approved by both the Norwegian Ethical committee and the Norwegian data protection authority (datatilsynet).

Today ROAS is used to both improve and develop medical treatment of patients – and to improve research on autoimmune diseases – such as Addison’s disease, hypothyroidism, polyendocrine syndromes, and diabetes mellitus type 1. Researchers, both nationally and internationally, used data from ROAS in their research. Since its start over a hundred scientific articles have been published that have used data from ROAS. Professor Eystein S. Husebye has created and still leads ROAS, while first amanuensis Kristian Løvås is the registry manager. Several doctorate students, postdocs, and research technicians are also connected to the registry.