| Scleroderma Medical News by Date |
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| March 2007 |
| Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Improves Upper GI Symptoms and Balances the Sympathovagal Activity in Scleroderma Patients. TENS at GI acupoints offers a potential option in the treatment of upper GI symptoms, but further study is necessary. PubMed. Dig Dis Sci. 2007 Mar 20. (Also see: Gastrointestinal Involvement ) |
| Pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc): Associations with genetic, serologic, sociodemographic, and behavioral factors. Early pulmonary involvement in SSc appears to be influenced by several factors delineated by ethnicity, including racial, socioeconomic, behavioral, and serologic determinants. PubMed. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Feb 28;57(2):318-326. (Also see: Pulmonary Involvement and Causes of Scleroderma: Ethnicity, Race, and Geographical Regions ) |
| The role of anti-endothelial cell antibody-mediated microvascular injury in the evolution of pulmonary fibrosis in the setting of collagen vascular disease. Pulmonary fibrosis, a recognized complication of systemic connective tissue disease, develops in connective tissue disease syndromes with pathogenetically established immune-based microvascular injury at other sites. A similar mechanism of antibody-mediated endothelial cell injury may be the basis of the tissue injury and fibrosing reparative response. PubMed. Am J Clin Pathol. 2007 Feb;127(2):237-47. (Also see: Pulmonary Fibrosis ) |
| Bosentan (Tracleer®) Receives Positive EU Opinion for Reduction of New Digital Ulcerations in Systemic Sclerosis Patients. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended that the European Commission approve bosentan (Tracleer®) for the reduction of the number of new digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis and ongoing digital ulcer disease. The European Commission is expected to make a final decision within two months. Prime Newswire 03-26-07. (Also see: Clinical Trials: Bosentan ) |
| Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) improve the function and ameliorate joint involvement in systemic sclerosis: a pilot study. This pilot study suggests that IVIg may reduce joint pain and tenderness with a significant recovery of joint function in SSc patients with severe and refractory joint involvement. IVIg cost might limit their use only to patients that failed DMARDs. PubMed. Ann Rheum Dis. 2007 Mar 7. (Also see: Clinical Trials: IVIG ) |
| Proliferative vascular retinopathy in polymyositis and dermatomyositis with scleroderma (overlap syndrome). Retinal vascular occlusion with development of proliferative changes can occur in polymyositis/dermatomyositis. PubMed. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2007 Jan-Feb;15(1):45-9. (Also see: Overlap Syndrome, Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis, and Eye Involvement ) |
| A new method for evaluation of intestinal muscle contraction properties: studies in normal subjects and in patients with systemic sclerosis. Systemic sclerosis patients had increased stiffness and impaired muscle dynamics of the duodenum. Decreased muscle function and increased wall stiffness may explain the GI symptoms reported in this patient group. PubMed. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2007 Jan;19(1):11-9. (Also see: Gastrointestinal Involvement and Bowel Dysfunction ) |
| Wound healing after hand surgery in patients with systemic sclerosis-a retrospective analysis of 41 operations in 19 patients. In systemic sclerosis, surgery performed electively does not seem to have increased difficulty with wound healing. Even larger operations, such as wrist arthrodesis or wrist replacement, can be performed safely. PubMed. J Hand Surg [Br]. 2007 Feb 1. (Also see: Digital Ulcers and Raynaud's Treatments ) |
| FDA Public Health Advisory Interferon gamma-1b (marketed as Actimmune). The INSPIRE study of Actimmune for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was stopped because an interim analysis showed that patients with IPF who received Actimmune did not benefit. FDA 03-05-07. (Also see: Clinical Trials Negative Results ) |
| Increased Serum Soluble CD40 Levels in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis. Elevated serum sCD40 levels were associated with lcSSc. These results suggest that the blockade of CD40/CD40 ligand interaction could be a potential therapeutic strategy in SSc. J Rheumatol 2007 February;34:353–8. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma and Limited Scleroderma ) |
| Localized scleroderma (morphea). Treatment should be decided according to severity and extent of lesions. Limited lesions may be treated with local steroids such as class IV corticosteroids. Systemic treatment (methotrexate) should be discussed in extensive and linear forms when there is a risk of functional or esthetic complications. PubMed. Presse Med. 2006 Dec;35(12 Pt 2):1923-8. (Also see: Morphea ) |
| Pamidronate infusion in patients with systemic sclerosis results in changes in blood mononuclear cell cytokine profiles. A single infusion of pamidronate was given to patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma, SSc) to assess effects on cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and lymphocyte subsets. The effects of pamidronate on modulation of cytokine profiles in patients with SSc may merit future study. PubMed. Clin Exp Immunol. 2006 Dec;146(3):371-80. (Also see: Scleroderma Treatments and Causes of Scleroderma: Cytokines ) |
| Juvenile onset systemic sclerosis: a single center experience of 23 cases from Asia. DSSc and LSSc in childhood have a clinical presentation similar to adult patients, with cardiopulmonary involvement being the major predictor of outcome. The short-term prognosis of JSSc is good. PubMed. Clin Rheumatol. 2006 Dec 19. (Also see: Juvenile Scleroderma ) |
| Photodynamic therapy: other uses. The ability of this treatment to hone in on dysplastic epithelial and endothelial cells while retaining viability of surrounding tissue is its key feature because this leads to specific tumor destruction with cosmesis and function of the target organ intact. PubMed. Dermatol Clin. 2007 Jan;25(1):101-9. (Also see: Skin Fibrosis, Morphea Treatments, and Clinical Trials: Positive Results: Phototherapy ) |
| Lung transplantation in scleroderma compared with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Patients with scleroderma who are recipients of lung transplantation experience similar rates of survival 2 years after the procedure compared with those with IPF or IPAH. Lung transplantation may represent a viable therapeutic option to consider for patients with end-stage lung disease due to scleroderma. PubMed. Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Dec;54(12):3954-61. (Also see: Pulmonary Fibrosis and Pulmonary Hypertension ) |
| Clinical features of scleroderma patients with contracture of phalanges (CP). The study suggested that the presence of CP may be a marker of oesophageal involvement, pulmonary fibrosis and heart involvement. PubMed. Clin Rheumatol. 2006 Dec 15. (Also see: Muscle and Joint Involvement, Esophageal Involvement, Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Cardiac Involvement ) |
| Stem Cell Finding Could Help Reduce Transplant Rejection. A new study involving a type of stem cells from the lungs of transplant patients demonstrates for the first time that these progenitor cells reside in adult organs and are not derived from bone marrow, which leads to the possibility that the cells may be able to help with the rejection of donated organs. Newswise. University of Michigan Health System. 03/08/07. (Also see: Pulmonary Fibrosis and Graft-versus-Host-Disease ) |
| Bier's white spots associated with scleroderma renal crisis. We report the case of a 47-year-old woman with a 2-year history of systemic scleroderma, who developed Bier's white spots associated with a vascular and renal crisis. Interestingly, these spots appeared with the crisis, and disappeared with the treatment and resolution of the crisis. PubMed. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2006 Nov 27. (Also see: Renal Involvement ) |
| Scleroderma renal crisis. Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) occurs in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is defined by otherwise unexplained rapidly progressive renal insufficiency associated with oliguria or rapidly progressive arterial hypertension or both. SRC is a rare and severe complication of SSc, most often encountered during the first 4 years of disease, almost only in patients with diffuse SSc. PubMed. Presse Med. 2006 Dec;35(12 Pt 2):1966-74. (Also see: Renal Involvement ) |
| A case of renal crisis in a Korean scleroderma patient with anti-RNA polymerase I and III antibodies. Sudden hypertension, oliguria, and pulmonary edema were features of her renal crisis. Subsequent renal biopsy findings showed severe fibrinoid necrosis with luminal obliteration in interlobar arteries and arterioles consistent with SSc renal crisis. PubMed. J Korean Med Sci. 2006 Dec;21(6):1121-3. (Also see: Renal Involvement and Antibodies ) |
| A case-control study of the pathology of esophageal disease in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). The loss of circular and longitudinal smooth muscle in the distal scleroderma oesophagus may represent loss of normal neural function followed by secondary tissue atrophy, or may be a primary smooth muscle lesion. PubMed. Gut. 2006 Dec;55(12):1697-703. (Also see: Esophageal Involvement ) |
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