Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease Focus of Latest Clinical Practice Guideline

In patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a rare connective tissue disease, interstitial lung disease contributes to 35 percent of deaths. Published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the latest American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline makes a number of recommendations. One recommendation expands antifibrotic treatment to all patients with systemic sclerosis associated with ILD (SSc-ILD), not just those with progressive disease.
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Study identifies new pathway to suppressing autoimmunity

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, and the Hospital for Special Surgery Research Institute have uncovered new details about how the immune system prevents the production of antibodies that can recognize and damage the body’s own, healthy tissues. The study, to be published September 29 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), also reveals how this process is impaired in autoimmune disorders such as systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus and suggests potential new strategies to treat these diseases.

Artificial Intelligence Shows Potential for Accurate Assessment of Nailfold Changes in Systemic Sclerosis Patients

New research presented this week at ACR Convergence 2022, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, showed that the Vision Transformer, an open-source computer vision algorithm, could detect changes in nailfold capillaroscopy images from systemic sclerosis patients.

Black People with Systemic Sclerosis May Have More Severe Disease, Worse Prognosis

New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, shows that Black people living with systemic sclerosis may have more severe disease and worse prognosis than patients in other racial or ethnic groups.

Potential biomarker found for lung disease in scleroderma patients

Researchers have discovered a protein that may predict disease severity for scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease, the leading cause of death for patients with the rare autoimmune condition. Higher circulating levels of the CTRP9 were associated with more severe lung disease, while low levels were associated with preserved function.

Online mental health intervention significantly helps the isolated, immunosuppressed during pandemic

People with the rare autoimmune disease scleroderma, who likely experience more serious isolation during a global pandemic, saw their anxiety and depression improve after receiving online mental health intervention through an international study. Researchers say the support program could be extended to many vulnerable patient populations moving forward.

First time in Thailand – Chula Successfully Uses Stem-cell Transplantation to Treat Systemic Sclerosis Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis

April 8, 2021 – The Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (CU Medi), Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society (Chulalongkorn Hospital), in collaboration with the Departments of Hematology, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Infectious diseases, held a press conference on “Thailand’s first successful treatment of systemic sclerosis patients with pulmonary fibrosis by stem cell transplantation“.