Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) is associated with several autoantibodies, each of which is useful in the diagnosis of affected patients and in determining their prognosis. Anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) and anti-Scl-70 antibodies are very useful in distinguishing patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) from healthy controls, from patients with other connective tissue disease, and from unaffe...

Introduction: Pulmonary involvement secondary to Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in SSc patients. We designed this study to determine the correlation of important lung function parameters with lung High Resolution CT (HRCT) scan findings. Materials and Methods: Thirty–two consecutive diffuse SSc patients with pulmonary fibrosis were enrolled in this cross...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the anti-fibrotic effects of Astragaloside IV in systemic sclerosis. METHODS Treated or untreated systemic sclerosis (SSc) and normal fibroblast isolated from corresponding pairs were utilized to detect expression of collagen and fibronectin by western blot, quantitative real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR), immunofluorescence staining and histopathological examination. SSc mouse ...

BACKGROUND Systemic sclerosis (SSc) belongs to the group of systemic diseases of the connective tissue, which are characterized by a chronic autoimmune inflammatory process. The studies on etiopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases focus on the impact the genetically conditioned impairment of xenobiotic metabolism may exert. The genetically polymorphic CYP2D6 is one of the most important phase I d...

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune multisystem disorder characterized by endothelialdysfunction and fibroblast dysfunction, which results in progressive fibrosis of the skin internalorgans more frequently lungs gastro intestinal tract. Pulmonary involvement common thecourse SSc, with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Arterial Hypertension (PAH) alongwith pleural effusion being leadi...

INTRODUCTION First lesions to occur in the course of systemic sclerosis (SSc) involve microcirculation. AIM The study involved assessment of the suitability of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in examination of the performance of skin microcirculation in the distal portion of the upper extremity in SSc patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Overall the study involved 27 patients with systemic sclerosi...

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BACKGROUND Autologous adipose tissue injection is used in plastic surgery for correction of localized tissue atrophy and has also been successfully offered for treatment of localized scleroderma. We aimed to evaluate whether patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and facial handicap could also benefit from this therapy. METHODS We included 14 patients (mean age of 53.8 ± 9.6 years) suffering ...

Patients with connective tissue disease (CTD)-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (APAH) experience poorer outcomes than those with idiopathic PAH (IPAH) [1–6]. In the USA, patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are most commonly affected by CTD-APAH and have the worst survival [1]. Similarly, 74% of a large cohort with CTD-APAH in the UK had SSc, and these patients had poorer survival t...

BACKGROUND Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by microvascular abnormalities, inflammation and fibrosis. We hypothesized that myocarditis may be diagnosed in asymptomatic SSc, undergoing routine cardio-vascular magnetic resonance (CMR) for fibrosis assessment, using the Lake Louise criteria: T2 ratio, early (EGE) and late gadolinium enhanced (LGE) images. METHODS ...