Digital ulcers, osteoporosis linked to calcinosis in patients with SSc

Among patients with systemic sclerosis, calcinosis was associated with the presence of digital ulcers and osteoporosis, according to recently presented research.

Researchers studied data from 5,180 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) from the Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium, including nine centers in Australia, Canada, Italy, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. Calcinosis was identified in 1,290 patients (24.4%) based on physical examination or radiography.

Univariate analysis showed patients with calcinosis were more likely to be older, more likely to be women and had longer disease duration from the appearance of the first symptom other than Raynaud’s syndrome compared to patients without calcinosis. Osteoporosis, digital ulcers, telangiectasias, acro-osteolysis, cardiac disease, pulmonary hypertension, gastrointestinal symptoms and arthritis were more common in patients with SSc and calcinosis, but a lesser frequency of myositis was observed in patients with calcinosis. Patients with calcinosis were more likely to have anti-centromere, PM-1 and anti-cardiolipin antibodies and were less likely to have Scl-70, RNA-polymerase-III and RNP autoantibodies compared to patients without calcinosis.

Multivariate analysis revealed a strong association between calcinosis and digital ulcers. An association between osteoporosis and calcinosis persisted in normal weight patients after adjusting for steroid use and BMI. – by Shirley Pulawski

Reference:

Valenzuela A, et al. Paper #830. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting; Nov. 7-11, 2015; San Francisco.

Disclosure: Valenzuela reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.