Svetlana I. Nihtyanova

Prediction of Pulmonary Complications and Long-Term Survival in Systemic Sclerosis

To assess survival and incidence of organ‐based complications in a large single‐center cohort of unselected systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, and to explore predictors of survival and clinically significant pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Clinical and pathological significance of interleukin 6 overexpression in systemic sclerosis

Objective To determine the potential clinical and pathological significance of altered expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods Serum IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor levels were measured in patients with SSc (n=68) and healthy controls (n=15). Associations between serum IL-6 level and C reactive protein, platelet count and key clinical outcomes in SSc were explored. Expression of IL-6 in skin biopsies was also examined and western blot and reverse transcription PCRanalysis were performed using cultured dermal fibroblasts. The effect of IL-6 trans-signalling on production of extracellular matrix proteins was assessed and downstream signalling pathways were examined using pharmacological inhibitors. Results Serum IL-6 level was frequently elevated in patients with SSc, particularly in those with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) with thrombocytosis and elevated acute phase markers. Prominent expression in the skin was observed in dermal fibroblasts, mononuclear cells and endothelial cells in patients with early dcSSc. In vitro experiments supported a potent profibrotic effect of IL-6 trans-signalling via the JAK2/STAT3 and ERK pathways. High IL-6 expression early in dcSSc appears to be associated with more severe skin involvement at 3 years and worse long-term survival than in those without elevated IL-6 levels. Conclusion Our results confirm the overexpression of IL-6 in dcSSc and support the potential of IL-6 as a surrogate marker for clinical outcome in this disease. The data also provide rationale for clinical studies targeting IL-6 trans-signalling as a potential antifibrotic therapy for SSc.

Clinical burden of digital vasculopathy in limited and diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis

Background: Vascular damage is a key pathological process in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and accounts for significant disease-related morbidity. To determine the clinical burden of severe digital vasculopathy (SDV), we have reviewed hospital-based treatment for this important complication of SSc in a large single centre cohort. Methods: Cases were identified from a cohort of 1168 patients with a diagnosis of SSc who were reviewed during an 18-month period. Patients with recorded episodes of SDV-related complications (digital ulceration, critical digital ischaemia or digital gangrene), requiring surgical amputation, digital sympathectomy or admissions for intravenous prostacyclin or calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and/or intravenous antibiotic treatment were identified. Results: From this large SSc cohort, 17.4% had SDV-related complications. Contrary to expectation, their frequency was significantly higher among the patients with the diffuse cutaneous subset of SSc (27.5%) compared with 13% among the patients with limited cutaneous SSc (p<0.0001). 16.6% had at least one recorded episode of digital ulcers, and 12% required at least one hospitalisation during the 18 months for treatment with intravenous prostacyclin/CGRP. Overall, there were 242 admissions with a mean duration of 6 days. Conclusions: Digital vasculopathy is a serious complication of SSc contributing significant morbidity and often requiring hospital-based management.

Improved survival in systemic sclerosis is associated with better ascertainment of internal organ disease: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has high mortality and morbidity. Current management focuses on early detection and treatment of organ-based manifestations. AIM To determine whether the ascertainment of major organ complications of SSc has changed over time and if this is associated with better survival. DESIGN Retrospective cohort analysis. METHODS A total of 520 SSc patients, 234 with disease onset between 1990 and 1993 (historical cohort) and 286 with disease onset between 2000 and 2003 (contemporary cohort), were included. Survival and frequency of internal organ complications were compared between the two cohorts. RESULTS Five-year survival among diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) patients has improved from 69% in the 1990-93 cohort to 84% in the 2000-03 cohort (P = 0.018), whereas 5-year survival among the limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) patients has remained unchanged-93 and 91%, respectively. Sixteen per cent of the lcSSc subjects and 38% of the dcSSc subjects from the contemporary cohort were diagnosed for the clinically significant pulmonary fibrosis compared with 3 and 7%, respectively, of the historical cohort (P < 0.001). Similarly, the diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension was more frequent in the patients from the contemporary cohort (8 and 7% for lcSSc and dcSSc, respectively) compared with [ < 1% (P = 0.002) and 1% (P = 0.148), respectively] the historical cohort. There was no significant difference between the two cohorts in terms of scleroderma renal crisis and cardiac involvement. CONCLUSION Survival has substantially improved for the diffuse cutaneous subset of SSc with better and more complete ascertainment of lung complications as a result of systematic annual screening.

Autoantibodies as predictive tools in systemic sclerosis.

The pathogenetic role of autoantibodies in systemic sclerosis (SSc) remains unclear, but these autoantibodies have been established as strong predictors of disease outcome and the pattern of organ complications in patients with this condition. The three most frequently observed types of SSc-specific autoantibody—anti-centromere antibodies, anti-topoisomerase antibodies and anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies—are found in over 50% of patients; the presence of each is generally exclusive of the others. Although a lot less frequently observed, antibodies directed against U3RNP and Th/To are also specific for scleroderma, whereas anti-Pm/Scl, anti-Ku and anti-U1RNP antibodies are seen mainly in patients with overlap syndromes. Up to 11% of patients with SSc can test negative for antinuclear antibodies. Strong links exist between autoantibody specificities and disease presentation and outcome, which make autoantibodies essential assessment tools in patients with SSc.

Clinical and Serological Hallmarks of Systemic Sclerosis Overlap Syndromes

Objective. To determine the prevalence of systemic sclerosis (SSc) overlap syndrome and autoantibody profile in a large single-center cohort. Methods. SSc diagnoses, subsets, and autoantibody profiles were obtained from clinical records of patients attending the Centre for Rheumatology, Royal Free Hospital, between September 1999 and February 2007. Results. In total, 332 (20%) of 1700 patients with SSc had overlap syndrome. This comprised myositis (42.8%), rheumatoid arthritis (RA; 32%), Sjögren’s syndrome (SS; 16.8%), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; 8.4%). Antinuclear antibody was positive in 96.6% of patients. Anticentromere antibody (ACA) was exclusively present in limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) overlap cases (22%), and more common in SSc/SS overlap (44.7%), whereas no difference was found in the prevalence of Scl-70 autoantibody between lcSSc and diffuse cutaneous SSc overlap groups. U1RNP was more frequent in SSc/SLE (44%), while Ro antibody was more likely to be found in SSc/SS (29.8%). ACA was absent and anti-Scl-70 was infrequent in SSc/myositis; polymyositis-scleroderma antibody was more frequent in this group (33.1%). About 50% of patients had raised rheumatoid factor (RF), with no difference between overlap groups irrespective of RF titer. In contrast, anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody was more frequent in patients with RA features. Conclusion. About one-fifth of SSc cases had overlap features. There were distinct serological features that may predict specific clinical presentation and disease course.

A longitudinal study of anti-RNA polymerase III antibody levels in systemic sclerosis

OBJECTIVES Anti-RNA-polymerase antibodies (ARAs) are associated with the diffuse cutaneous subset of SSc (dcSSc) and particularly with scleroderma renal crisis (SRC). We analysed serial ARA levels and explored the relationship with clinical features and disease outcome. METHODS A commercially available ELISA method with a recombinant peptide of RNA polymerase III was used and ARA levels were measured in a well-characterized cohort of SSc cases. RESULTS ARA levels were measured in 64 SSc patients. Of them, 78% (n = 50) were females and 92% (n = 59) had dcSSc, 39% (n = 25) had SRC, 20% (n = 13) had pulmonary fibrosis (PF), 9% (n = 6) had pulmonary arterial hypertension and 3% (n = 2) had cardiac involvement. There was considerable inter- and intra-patient variability in ARA levels (11-210 U/ml). There was no correlation between absolute ARA levels (at baseline or throughout the disease course) and outcome. There was a moderate correlation between time to peak ARA level and development of significant PF (Pearson correlation = 0.669, P = 0.034), but no correlation between peak ARA levels and onset of SRC. ARA levels change correlated with change in skin score (correlation coefficient within subjects = 0.236, P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS The pathogenic significance of ARA is unclear. Despite the very strong association of ARA with SRC, we could not show the clinically significant association between absolute levels of antibody and development of internal organ complications, which makes repeated measurements of ARA levels unnecessary. However, changes in ARA level over time occur and may reflect changes in skin score.

Characteristics of Patients with Juvenile Onset Systemic Sclerosis in an Adult Single-center Cohort

Objective. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disease in childhood. We compared the characteristics of adult patients with juvenile-onset SSc (jSSc) from a single-center cohort to an adult-onset group. Methods. Patients with disease onset before the age of 17 years were included in the jSSc cohort, while subjects with SSc onset after age 17 formed the adult-onset cohort. Results. We identified 52 adult subjects with jSSc and compared them to 954 patients with adult-onset SSc. The mean ± SD age at disease onset of the patients with jSSc was 14 ± 2 years, 39 (75%) of them were women, and 24 (46%) had the diffuse cutaneous subset of SSc (dcSSc). There were no differences between the 2 cohorts in terms of sex and disease subset. Overlaps were significantly more frequent among the jSSc cohort (37%) compared to the adult-onset group (18%; p = 0.002). Autoantibody analysis demonstrated significantly more antitopoisomerase I antibody-positive subjects (33% vs 20%; p = 0.034) and significantly fewer anticentromere antibody-positive subjects (2% vs 25%; p < 0.001) in the jSSc cohort. Compared to the adult-onset group at 10 years from disease onset, survival was significantly higher among the subjects with jSSc (98% vs 75%; p = 0.001), pulmonary arterial hypertension had a significantly lower incidence (2% vs 14%; p = 0.032), and there was no difference in terms of pulmonary fibrosis (22% vs 21%) and cardiac scleroderma (3% vs 2%) between the 2 groups. Conclusion. The high survival rates and lower proportion of dcSSc in the adult jSSc cohort may represent a survival bias.

Characteristics and Survival of Anti–U1 RNP Antibody–Positive Patients With Connective Tissue Disease–Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication of connective tissue diseases (CTDs). This study aimed to investigate the clinical and hemodynamic characteristics and survival of anti–U1 RNP–positive patients with CTD‐associated PAH, with a focus on systemic sclerosis (SSc)–associated PAH.

Characteristics and survival of patients with anti-U1RNP antibodies in connective tissue disease associated pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication of connective tissue diseases (CTDs). This study aimed to investigate the clinical and hemodynamic characteristics and survival of anti–U1 RNP–positive patients with CTD‐associated PAH, with a focus on systemic sclerosis (SSc)–associated PAH.