Sclerosis

The NIH has launched a clinical trial to examine antibody responses to a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose in patients with autoimmune disease who failed to respond to the initial vaccine regimen.

Given the potential for false-positives in Scl-70 antibody testing for systemic sclerosis, many clinicians have overlooked the trio of classic signs and symptoms that would have otherwise “made the diagnosis,” according to a presenter here.

There is a “large variability” in the use of physical therapy for systemic sclerosis, and patients who do receive it are rarely treated for hand or oral dysfunction, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis often need early assessment and systemic treatments, according to a review published in JAMA Dermatology.

Although lenabasum failed to meet its efficacy endpoint in a trial of patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis, a post-hoc analysis suggests an impact on forced vital capacity, according to a speaker at the EULAR 2021 Congress.

A questionnaire developed at the University of California, Los Angeles, can discriminate patients with systemic sclerosis who have an indication for esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy, according to data published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Darker skin tones are “significantly underrepresented” in rheumatology clinical image banks, including the American College of Rheumatology Image Library and The New England Journal of Medicine Images in Clinical Medicine, according to data.

Fatigue and Raynaud’s syndrome were rated “important” or “very important” as barriers to physical activity in at least 50% of patients with systemic sclerosis, according to survey results published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Tocilizumab treatment in early interstitial lung disease, with progressive skin involvement related to systemic sclerosis, was able to stabilize forced vital capacity over 48 weeks, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

The overall quality of information found online regarding systemic sclerosis mouth treatment is “questionable” and requires a high level of reading skill, according to findings published in BMC Rheumatology.