When gene expression — the process in which a gene gets turned ‘on’ in a cell to make proteins — is dysregulated or does not function the way it should normally, the affected skin of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) tends to be abnormally thicker, a study has found.

Distinct levels of proteins in the bloodstream of scleroderma patients matched altered gene activity in their skin, a large-scale molecular analysis showed. Researchers said these blood proteins could prove to be much-needed biomarkers for this chronic disease. “These results indicate that [blood] proteins are attractive surrogate markers for tracking…

Treatment with abatacept led to a reduction in skin stiffening and disability, as well as better overall health, in people with early diffuse cutaneous scleroderma (dcSSc) who participated in the yearlong Phase 2 ASSET trial and its six-month extension, new 18-month data show.

The American College of Rheumatology Combined Response Index in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (ACR CRISS) appears to be a consistent and reliable measure of how these patients feel and function, according to data recently presented by Corbus Pharmaceuticals. Notably, the research suggests that this composite measure, which is frequently used…

Patient-reported symptoms — specifically those related to blood vessel, skin, and lung function — may be used to indicate changes in disease activity in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), an Australian study suggests. The study, “Can patient-reported symptoms be used to measure disease activity in systemic…

Progressive skin fibrosis within one year increases the risk of lung function decline and mortality in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic scleroderma (dcSSc), a large-scale observational study found. The finding suggests that skin fibrosis scoring can work as a potential surrogate marker for dcSSc severity in clinical trials and routine…

High-frequency ultrasound (HFU) of the skin can help evaluate the progression and define disease activity in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), researchers suggest. This noninvasive method was seen to have the potential to effectively and quantitatively measure skin thickness, representing an attractive strategy to objectively assess skin changes in patients…

A new study showed that certain proteins present in the blood can serve as reliable biomarkers for the detection of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc), as well as for the distinction of different stages of disease severity. The study, “A Proteome Derived Longitudinal Pharmacodynamic Biomarker For Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis…

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is affected in most scleroderma patients. The exception to this rule is the limited subset version of scleroderma patients. On Day 1 in my Scleroderma Awareness Month posts, I focused on the different subsets of scleroderma…

    One of the major organs affected by Scleroderma is the thickening of the skin, as the name implies, Sclero, meaning thick, derma, meaning skin. This is usually the first tell-tale symptom to prompt a diagnosis. Skin involvement can vary depending on the type of scleroderma, with…