News

Physiotherapy improves sexual health of women with SSc: Study

A physiotherapy program improved sexual function and quality of life, while also preventing the deterioration in functional ability in women with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a study in the Czech Republic reports. The eight-week program consisted of a one-hour session, twice weekly, of targeted physiotherapy according to the patients’ needs.

Plasma exchange seen to help in scleroderma renal crises

Plasma exchange helped reduce high blood pressure linked to scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) — a potentially life-threatening complication marked by abrupt blood pressure changes and acute kidney failure — in patients unresponsive to standard treatment, a case series study reported. Despite these successes, most patients still had impaired kidney…

High CCL24 levels in SSc associated with more severe disease

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…

#SayScleroderma this month to help raise awareness of chronic disease

With an emphasis on sparking conversations about the complex chronic autoimmune disease, supporters are observing Scleroderma Awareness Month this June with a host of events and activities — including social media campaigns. World Scleroderma Day is on June 29. In addition to the general public, the awareness and fundraising efforts…

Woman, 79, found to have rare case of localized scleroderma

Clinicians in Tunisia highlighted the importance of screening for self-reactive antibodies, or autoantibodies, in localized scleroderma cases after a 79-year-old woman treated a hospital in the capital city of Tunis was also diagnosed with pulmonary interstitial fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension. In addition, the patient had self-reactive anti-Th/To…

Baricitinib reduced lung, skin fibrosis in scleroderma mouse model: Study

Baricitinib, an anti-inflammatory therapy approved to treat some forms of inflammatory arthritis, showed promising effects in a mouse model of systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated lung disease. “This study demonstrates that baricitinib successfully attenuates bleomycin-induced injury and fibrosis of the skin and lung,” the researchers wrote in “Crosstalk between…