Background: Local treatments such as ultraviolet-A (UVA) phototherapy, topical calcitriol, injection of autologous fat grafting, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), hyaluronic acid (HA) and local ultrasound (US) treatment are considered alternative approaches for skin involvement in Systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim our study was to evaluate the efficacy PRP lipofilling or SSc-related digital ulcers (D...

Previous reports indicated the significance of the TGF-β signaling in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis. We tried to evaluate the possibility that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a part in the type I collagen upregulation seen in normal fibroblasts stimulated with exogenous TGF-β and systemic sclerosis (SSc) fibroblasts. miRNA expression profile was evaluated by miRNA PCR array and real-time PCR. ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency and clinical association of antiphosphatidylserine-prothrombin complex (PS/PT) antibody (Ab) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS Anti-PS/PT IgG Ab was examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 112 patients with SSc. Thirty three healthy volunteers and 30 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were also investigated as controls. ...

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Due to improvements in the understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases, improved methodological rigour in the conduct of epidemiological studies and the advent of successful therapies, our understanding of SSc-PAH and SLE-PAH has evolved considerably. In th...

Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma, SSc) is a disease of unknown etiology characterized by widespread vasculopathy and extracellular matrix deposition leading to fibrosis and autoimmune processes. Digital ischemia (digital ulcers (DUs)) is the hallmark of SSc-related vasculopathy and is characterized by endothelial dysfunction leading to intimal proliferation and thrombosis. It happens frequently ...

Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by widespread tissue fibrosis including the myocardium. Diffuse myocardial fibrosis can be detected non-invasively by extracellular volume (ECV) imaging based on preand postcontrast T1 measurements using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). We hypothesized that multiparametric CMR, including T1 mapping, can detect subclinical myocardial i...

Although definitive answers are not yet forthcoming, understanding the mechanisms of fibrosis in scleroderma might improve the relative therapeutic vacuum now surrounding not only generalised scleroderma (systemic sclerosis (SSc)) but also the fibrosis of keloid formation, cirrhosis of the liver, pulmonary fibrosis, and atherosclerosis as well. Discussion here will include immune, vascular, and...

Background and purpose In patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cardiac involvements are common, may have serious consequences. Sensitive diagnostic techniques in cardiac MRI can identify subclinical myocardial abnormalities. The purpose of this study is to assess regional dysfunction of left ventricule in asymptomatic patients with SSc, compared to RA, by using ...

Stressful life situation can trigger the onset and flare-ups of Behçet's disease (BD). In addition, the association of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and BD is rare. In this study, we report a patient who had Sjögren's syndrome as a primary disease and subsequently developed SSc and BD after an earthquake disaster and the death of her father.