Catarina Silva, MSc,  —

Changes in four DNA spots influence the risk of developing both scleroderma and Crohn’s disease, researches found. One of the spots hadn’t previously been associated with either disease. The variants had opposing effects in susceptibility, “thus highlighting the complex effects that shared associations have on disease outcomes,” the…

Swallowing trouble in people with scleroderma is associated with lower quality of life and a higher incidence of depression, a study found. The study, “Oropharyngeal swallowing functions are impaired in patients with scleroderma,” was published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. Swallowing involves both voluntary and…

Genetic testing may allow physicians to better distinguish scleroderma from its overlap syndromes and help to predict the disease’s likely course, a study reports. The study, “Whole blood gene expression profiling distinguishes systemic sclerosis-overlap syndromes from other subsets,” was published in the Journal of the European Academy…

Using a new stem cell-based model, researchers have discovered a molecule that can reverse tissue damage caused by inflammation and fibrosis (scarring), a study shows. The study, “Modeling Progressive Fibrosis with Pluripotent Stem Cells Identifies an Anti-fibrotic Small Molecule,” was published in Cell Reports. Fibrotic diseases,…

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), along with an algorithm that considers both lung and heart functions, can help lower the unnecessary use of right heart catheterization to determine if a scleroderma patient has pulmonary arterial hypertension, a study reports. The study, “Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in a combined…

Blood levels of three types of immune cells — neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes — may be associated with digital ulcers and disease severity in systemic sclerosis, researchers report. Their study, “Association of simple hematological parameters with disease manifestations, activity, and severity in patients with systemic sclerosis,”…

Different types of systemic sclerosis-related autoantibodies may lead to different presentations of the disease, and affect distinct groups of internal organs, research suggests. The study reporting the findings, “Clinical Manifestation and Incidence of Cardiopulmonary Complications in Early Systemic Sclerosis Patients with Different Antibody Profiles,” was published…