Chester V. Oddis, M.D.

Titles:
·Professor of Medicine,
 Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Address:

BST South 703      3500 Terrace Street      University of Pittsburgh      Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Office Telephone: (412) 383-8861
Office Fax: (412) 383-8864

Degrees:
·B.S., University of Pittsburgh
·M.D., Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Postgraduate Training:
·Residency in Internal Medicine, Penn State University
·Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Board Certification:
Internal Medicine
Rheumatology

Research Interests:
Dr. Oddis' major area of research interest includes the clinical, epidemiologic and serologic description of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. We have completed epidemiologic studies on the incidence of polymyositis and dermatomyositis as well as longitudinal studies on functional disability in myositis patients. We have been especially interested in the autoantibody patterns in patients with inflammatory myopathy and their peculiar immunogenetic associations. Recently we have extended our research of autoantibody analysis into the pediatric population with our studies on childhood polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

Dr. Oddis has written extensively on the diagnosis and management of patients with myositis. He has published and lectured on the use of novel immunosuppressive agents such as tacrolimus (formerly FK506) in the treatment of patients with refractory myositis. This represents the only reported experience of this particular drug in the pharmacologic treatment of inflammatory myopathy. In collaboration with the Department of Neurology, he has assessed the efficacy and utility of outpatient needle muscle biopsy in the diagnosis of inflammatory myopathy. This is important given the cost-containment focus of the current health-care market.

Dr. Oddis is the co-investigator on an important national NIH funded study on the efficacy of doxycycline in preventing the progression of knee osteoarthritis in middle-aged women. This study is the first of its kind in assessing the effect of a disease-modifying agent in osteoarthritis.

Publications:
Dr. Oddis' publications can be reviewed through the National Library of Medicine's publication database by clicking here.