Unclassified

Hand baths enriched with carbon dioxide (CO2) — a gas that exists naturally in the atmosphere, and is produced by living things breathing out — can significantly widen blood vessels of the fingers in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated Raynaud’s phenomenon. That’s according to a small clinical trial…

The use of immunosuppressive and combination treatments for interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc-ILD) has increased significantly over the past two decades, with more than half of patients now starting treatment at their first evaluation, according to a new study. Over the same period, rates of…

Levels of soluble CD13, the circulating form of a protein involved in inflammation and fibrosis (scarring), are generally higher in people with scleroderma, but do not clearly correlate with disease severity or specific clinical features, a new study reports. The findings suggest that CD13 alone is unlikely to serve…

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) — a type of regulatory cell found in various tissues — work to reduce lung scarring in systemic sclerosis (SSc) by suppressing the growth of certain immune T-cells that carry the PD-1 receptor, according to a new study. PD-1 is an immune checkpoint protein…

Macrophages, a type of immune cell, may be mainly responsible for driving fibrosis, or scarring, in people with scleroderma, according to new research done in animal models. “These data suggest that a single cell type, macrophage, may be responsible for inducing scleroderma,” Sanja Arandjelovic, PhD, who co-led the study…

Abnormal fatty acid metabolism may play a role in the development of systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to a gene activity analysis. Researchers identified three genes involved in fatty acid metabolism that were significantly dysregulated in SSc patients. These changes correlated with markers of fat metabolism and disease complications, including…

Carbon dioxide ablative fractional laser (CO2-AFL) therapy, a treatment that’s long been used to remove wrinkles, may help reduce skin scarring in people with localized scleroderma, according to a new study. “Overall, CO2-AFL treatment appears to have good therapeutic effects in patients with [localized scleroderma], especially patients who are…

Lower blood levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), an antibody measured through routine blood tests, were linked to poorer health-related quality of life in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), including greater pain, reduced physical function, and higher overall disease burden, a study reports. These findings suggest that blood IgG levels…

Having anti-SSA antibodies, without other common scleroderma-related antibodies present, is linked to shorter survival and faster disease progression in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to a recent study from Japan. “These findings support the inclusion of anti-SSA in routine serologic [blood] assessment and underscore the potential utility of…

Dexamethasone, a type of corticosteroid, reduced skin thickening, inflammation, and the activity of genes that induce fibrosis (scarring) in a mouse model of systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to a study. The study also demonstrated that dexamethasone reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory molecules produced by certain T-cells derived from SSc…