Autoantibody profile in systemic sclerosis as a marker for esophageal and other organ involvement in Turkish populations

Systemic sclerosis patients with negative antinuclear antibodies have distinctive clinical manifestations: a multicenter CRDC cohort in China

BACKGROUND

The presence of circulating antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) is a hallmark of immune dysregulation in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

OBJECTIVE

A variety of ANAs are associated with unique sets of disease manifestations and are widely used in clinical practice in SSc. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of SSc patients negative for ANAs in a Chinese Rheumatism Data Center (CRDC) multicenter cohort in China.

METHODS

Patients were prospectively recruited between April 2008 and June 2019 from 154 clinical centers nationwide, and all cases fulfilled the 2013 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for systemic sclerosis. Results for antinuclear antibodies were intensively collected. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between ANA-positive SSc patients and those negative for ANAs.

RESULTS

Antinuclear antibodies were detected in 2129 of 2809 patients enrolled in the study; 4.2% of patients were negative. There were more males among ANA-negative SSc patients (29/60 vs. 294/1746, p < 0.001). The incidence of certain critical organ involvement, including gastroesophageal reflux (5.6% vs. 18.5%, p = 0.002), interstitial lung disease (65.2% vs. 77.9%, p = 0.015), and pulmonary arterial hypertension (11.5% vs. 29.0%, p = 0.006) was significantly lower in ANA-negative patients than in ANA-positive patients. The proportion of abnormal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (32.4% vs. 47.6%, p = 0.013) and IgG elevation (14.3% vs. 37.0%, p = 0.003), an indicator of disease activity, was significantly lower in ANA-negative patients than in ANA-positive patients.

CONCLUSION

Antinuclear antibodies are strongly associated with the clinical manifestations of systemic sclerosis, with ANA-negative SSc patients tending to exhibit relatively milder disease.

Oesophageal motor disorders and oesophageal endoscopic involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis: a systematic association?

INTRODUCTION

Although oesophageal motor disorders (OMDs) are frequent in systemic sclerosis (SSc), the frequency of associated endoscopic lesions is unknown. We aimed at assessing the presence of endoscopic lesions in SSc patients with OMD. The secondary objective was to identify the clinical and serological profile of such patients.

METHODS

This retrospective study included SSc patients suffering from OMD diagnosed by oesophageal high-resolution manometry (OHRM) and with recent upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy (UGIE). Clinical data collected were age, gender, body mass index, SSc disease duration, tobacco, SSc cutaneous type, non-digestive SSc visceral disorders, oesophageal symptoms, serological profile (autoantibodies), proton pump inhibitor use, time between SSc diagnosis and UGIE.

RESULTS

53 selected patients from 210 SSc patients investigated by OHRM in our department were included. Among these patients, 25 (47.2%) had endoscopic lesions: 18 (34.6%) had oesophagitis and 7 (13.5%) had Barrett's oesophagus. The only two parameters significantly associated with endoscopic lesions were a shorter disease duration (6 vs. 11 years; p = .002) and a shorter delay between SSc diagnosis and UGIE (3 vs. 8.5 years; p = .002). No other clinical or biological parameters could help identify the patients at risk of endoscopic lesion.

CONCLUSION

In our study, only a shorter disease duration and a shorter delay between SSc diagnosis and UGIE were significantly associated with the presence of endoscopic lesions in patients with OMD, but no other parameters were identified. This study highlights the need to perform UGIE in SSc patients with OMD whatever their clinical symptoms.

Helicobacter pylori and Upper Endoscopy in Systemic Sclerosis: A Cross-sectional Study in the Real World

BACKGROUND/AIMS

A role for Helicobacter pylori in triggering systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been proposed, but data are conflicting. In previous studies, infection has been generally searched for by using serology. We designed this study to assess H. pylori prevalence in SSc patients with histology of gastric mucosa, considered the criterion standard for infection diagnosis.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study enrolled 30 SSc patients who complained of upper gastrointestinal symptoms. All underwent upper endoscopy with gastric biopsies. Endoscopic alterations were recorded, and gastric mucosa biopsies were used for both histological examination and searching for H. pylori. The role for proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy was considered. Fisher exact test was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Data of 28 SSc patients were available, 14 with ongoing PPI therapy. Helicobacter pylori infection at histology was detected in 14.3% patients, and it equally occurred in patients with or without PPI therapy. Erosive esophagitis/Barrett esophagus was detected in 26.6% of cases. Among patients with PPI therapy, 30% received half dose only. The prevalence of intestinal metaplasia was low (14.3%). Endoscopic esophageal alterations were significantly more frequent in those patients showing anti-Scl70 antibody positivity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that prevalence of H. pylori is very low in SSc patients, so that it seems not having a role in triggering SSc. Management of gastroesophageal diseases in SSc patients needs to be improved, and looking to the autoimmune profile may be of help. Thus, collaboration between rheumatologist and gastroenterologist is highly recommended.

Acupuncture-based modalities: novel alternative approaches in the treatment of gastrointestinal dysmotility in patients with systemic sclerosis

BACKGROUND

The gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility of systemic sclerosis (SSc, scleroderma) patients requires careful evaluation and intervention. The lack of effective prokinetic drugs motivate researchers to search for alternative treatments.

OBJECTIVES

We present an overview of the pathophysiology of SSc GI dysmotility and the advances in its management, with particular focus on acupuncture-related modalities and innovative therapies.

DATA SOURCES

Original research articles were identified based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline methodology. We have searched the MEDLINE database using Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) for all English and non-English articles with an English abstract from 2005 to October 2012.

RESULTS

Only four original articles of various study designs were found studying Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies for SSc patients. Despite the small patient study numbers, CAM treatments, acupressure, and transcutaneous electroacupuncture, showed self-reported and physiologic evidence of improvement of GI functioning and/or symptoms in SSc patients.

CONCLUSIONS

CAM therapies include experimental modalities with the potential to offer relief of symptoms from GI dysmotility. Larger studies are needed to investigate their optimal use in patient subsets to tailor therapies to patient needs.

Pulmonary hypertension associated with rheumatic diseases: baseline characteristics from the Korean registry

OBJECTIVES

The REgistry of Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Rheumatic Disease (REOPARD) was established in Korea. The baseline data are described from the second year of the registry's operation.

METHODS

Patients with a connective tissue disease (CTD) who met the modified definition of the WHO group I pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) were enrolled. PAH was defined as a systolic pulmonary arterial pressure> 40 mmHg by echocardiography or mean pulmonary arterial pressure> 25 mmHg by right heart catheterization. Hemodynamic parameters and clinical data such as demographics, functional class, underlying disease, organ involvement, laboratory tests and current treatment were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 321 patients were enrolled during the 2-year study period from 2008 to 2010. The mean age of the patients at registration was 51.9 years and 87.5% were female. Most patients were diagnosed by echocardiography and only 24 patients (7.5%) underwent cardiac catheterization. Exertional dyspnea was present in 63.6% of patients and 31.8% were New York Heart Association class III or IV. Among the patients, systemic lupus erythematosus accounted for 35.3%, systemic sclerosis 28.3%, rheumatoid arthritis 7.8%, overlap syndrome 9.0%, and mixed connective tissue disease 5.9%. There were no significant differences in hemodynamics, functional class, diffusing capacity and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels between the disease subgroups. Treatments consisted of calcium antagonists (57.0%), endothelin antagonists (32.7%), prostanoids (27.1%), phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (14.3%) and combinations (37.4%).

CONCLUSION

Compared with previous studies, the results showed some differences: underlying diseases, functional status and treatments. This may be due to differences in ethnic background and diagnostic methods of our study.

Esophageal manometry in 28 systemic sclerosis Brazilian patients: findings and correlations

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disease of unknown etiology. Esophageal involvement affects 50-90% of patients and is characterized by abnormal motility and hypotonic lower esophageal sphincter. Data on the association of esophageal abnormalities and age, gender, SSc subset or duration, autoantibody profile, esophageal symptoms, and medication are lacking or conflicting. The aim of this study was the evaluation of these associations in Brazilian sclerodermic patients from the Rheumatology Division, Clinics Hospital, Federal University, Minas Gerais. They underwent medical records review, clinical interview, and esophageal manometry. The normal cutoff level for lower esophageal sphincter pressure was 14 mmHg. Abnormal peristalsis occurred when less than 80% of peristaltic waves were propagated. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Twenty-eight patients were included: 71% were women. The population presented medium age and disease duration of 46 years and 12 years, respectively. Cutaneous diffuse SSc occurred in 39% and its limited form in 61%. Dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation occurred, respectively, in 71%, 43%, and 61% of patients. Lower esophageal sphincter pressure and number of peristaltic waves-propagated medias were, respectively, 17.2 mmHg and 2.3. SSc-related manometric abnormalities were present in 86% of patients. Manometry revealed distal esophageal body hypomotility, hypotonic lower esophageal sphincter, or both, respectively, in 82%, 39%, and 36% of patients. One patient presented the manometric pattern of esophageal achalasia. Male patients more frequently presented hypotonic inferior esophageal sphincter. Manometric findings have had no relationship with the other variables. Nifedipine use did not influence manometric findings.