Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Blood levels of interleukin (IL)-6, a pro-inflammatory signaling molecule, do not link with a risk of pulmonary involvement in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study reports. As a result, IL-6 “could not be regarded as a potential therapeutic target,” the researchers wrote in the study, “…

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) have a higher risk of death when compared with individuals with SSc alone, according to a new population-based study conducted in Denmark. The presence of additional co-occurring disorders, or comorbidities, other than ILDs, was found to gradually increase the risk of…

Elevated levels of certain blood proteins are associated with poorer long function and skin involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, according to a recent study. In an analysis of data from the focuSSced Phase 3 trial that supported the approval of Actemra (tocilizumab) in the U.S., researchers also…

People with scleroderma perform worse in verbal fluency tasks than those with mild neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease, a new study reports. Researchers also found that scleroderma patients experience problems with memory, particularly prospective memory and working memory, which correlate with depressive symptoms. Prospective memory refers to remembering…

Blood levels of CCL24 are elevated in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients compared to healthy people, according to a recent scientific presentation. Consistent with previous studies, higher CCL24 levels correlated with SSc severity, a threefold greater risk of interstitial lung disease (ILD) progression, and shorter five-year survival rates. “These…

Older age, problems in the larynx, or voice box, and being positive for certain autoantibodies is associated with a higher risk of having dysphagia — difficulty swallowing — in scleroderma patients, according to a single-center study. Esophageal dysmotility, when foods and liquids do not easily pass down the esophagus,…

Elevated blood levels of the cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) are linked with more severe interstitial lung disease (ILD) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and may be a marker of disease activity, a study from Japan reports. “Our results suggest that serum [blood] CIRP levels may serve as a useful…

A woman developed scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis (SSc), after she contracted COVID-19, according to a case report that highlights the challenges of treating complex autoimmune conditions. Treatment with a corticosteroid led to scleroderma renal crisis, “highlighting the risk of steroid use in all patients with systemic sclerosis,”…

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), where the lungs become scarred, are more than three times more likely to be hospitalized due to respiratory failure, according to real-world data collected in the U.S. Other strong risk factors for respiratory failure among hospitalized SSc patients included pneumonia…

More than 30% of people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are dissatisfied with their lives, and higher levels of dissatisfaction are reported by racial minority groups, a U.S.-based study has found. The spiritual well-being of patients was the strongest contributor to life satisfaction scores. These scores were found to be significantly…