Scleroderma News

Patients with systemic sclerosis had a combination of intestinal flora that was distinct from healthy control participants, according to research by Elizabeth Volkmann, MD, and colleagues presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.

Actemra has been granted breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA for the treatment of systemic sclerosis, and researchers presented data from a phase two study of Actemra in systemic sclerosis at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology today.

Only a small number of patients with rheumatic diseases said fatigue-related communication with a rheumatologist was not important; however, less than half of patients studied were satisfied with actual communication, and more than three-quarters of patients reported that the fatigue-related communication was initiated by the patient, according to survey results presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.

Little treatment effect was observed in patients with early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis after treatment with immunosuppressant therapy, according to research presented at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Meeting.

Several mortality-risk prediction models used in assessing mortality at 1-year in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, also may be a viable option in gauging short-term mortality in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease, according to study results.

CHICAGO — Risks for pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension among patients with scleroderma were discussed by Harrison Farber, MD, at the American College of Rheumatology State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, here.

The inappropriate use of NSAIDs, defined by the Italian Agency of Medicines as use for 21 days or more, for chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions may be prevalent in European patients, according to recently published research.

Lung diffusing capacity for nitric oxide was more sensitive than lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide at detecting functional impairment in the absence of radiologic or hemodynamic alterations of interstitial lung disease in patients with systemic sclerosis, according to researchers at the University of Padova in Italy.

Fatigue was reported by 98% of patients with autoimmune disorders polled, and fatigue that prevented completion of everyday tasks was reported by 68% of the patients, according to a press release from the American Autoimmune Disease Related Diseases Association.

Some patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon met 2013 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria for systemic sclerosis but did not meet 1980 American College of Rheumatology criteria, according to researchers at the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea.