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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…