Resolution of GAVE After aHSCT for Progressive Systemic Sclerosis A 30-year-old man with RNA polymerase III (Pol III)-positive, diffuse, progressive systemic sclerosis had a persistent microcytic anemia with a hemoglobin level of 8 g/dL and evidence of gastric antral ventral ectasia (GAVE) on gastroscopy. He underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT). After six months,…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Barrett’s esophagus is common in women with systemic sclerosis or scleroderma (SSc) and is often accompanied by dysplasia, according to the largest study on prevalence of Barrett’s esophagus in women with SSc. In Barrett’s esophagus, chronic gastric reflux causes the lining the esophagus to be replaced by metaplastic cells that may lead…
ACR Convergence panelists discussed how to monitor SSc-ILD patients for ILD severity & the brightening prospects for therapy.
In a new study, Spiera et al. assessed the safety and efficacy of lenabasum, a synthetic, orally administered agonist of cannabinoid receptor 2 that modulates the endocannabinoid system to activate the resolution phase of innate immune responses, in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis…
Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) may benefit from targeted stroke screening or prevention therapies. A recent study revealed SSc may be independently associated with stroke, finding the risk of stroke was 20–30% higher in SSc patients than healthy controls…
For patients with gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations of scleroderma, the effect on quality of life & longevity can be dramatic. But advances are being made in the diagnosis & treatment of these patients…
Little is known about the immunopathogenic relationship between celiac disease and systemic autoimmune diseases, such as primary Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic sclerosis. But new research indicates that screening for celiac disease may benefit patients newly diagnosed with systemic autoimmune diseases, as well as supports the idea that celiac disease may accelerate the development of systemic autoimmune disease…
In patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), gastrointestinal disease may be associated with lower quality of life and increased risk of death. Research showed that SSc patients with severe GI disease had markers of muscle inflammation, skin fibrosis and vasculopathy…
“You have systemic sclerosis,” says the physician. Other somber words patients may hear the day they learn their diagnosis include, “rare, chronic, no treatment.” But a ray of hope could soon enter those exam rooms thanks to research conducted by a team from the UK. Rizgar A. Mageed, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath, is professor of experimental…
A yearlong pilot study that evaluated the safety and efficacy of belimumab in a small group of patients with early diffuse systemic sclerosis found no significant difference in the number of adverse events between those treated with the drug and those who received a placebo. Currently, no drugs are approved specifically for the treatment of…