Gastrointestinal involvement (GI) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is one of the most frequent symptoms in SSc and include a wide range of symptoms from gastro-oesophageal reflux to faecal incontinence. These have a negative impact on patient quality of life. The SSc_GIT 1.0 is a disease-specific HRQOL instrument for patients with SSc to assess their GIT-related activity and severity, High-resolution manometry ... Read more

Objectives: Tostudyesophagealhighresolutionmanometry(HRM)insystemicsclerosis(SSc)patients and thecorrelationof findings toTheUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngelesSclerodermaClinicalTrials Consortiumgastrointestinaltract2.0(UCLASCTC_GIT2.0). Methods: FortySScpatientswereadministeredtotheUCLASCTCGIT2.0.PatientsunderwentHRMstudy (Solar GIMMS).HRMdatawerecomparedwith15healthyvolunteers. Results: Forty patientswithmeanage46 7 7 yearsanddiseaseduration9.3 7 7 yearsreportedupper (85.7%),lowerGIsymptoms(75%),while5%reportednosymptoms.Mean 7 SD scoresofUCLA SCTC_GIT2.0itemswereasfollows:reflux 1.2 7 0.8, distention1.6 7 1.2,fecalsoiling0.3 7 0.9, diarrhea 0.8 7 1,social1 7 1,emotional1 7 1.1,constipation0.5 7 0.9, andtotalGITscore0.9 7 0.6. Lower esophagealsphincter(LES)pressureanddistalesophagealamplitudeweresignificantly lowerin SSc patientsthancontrols.Mainmanometric findings weredecreasedLESrestingpressure(40%)and aperistalsis(40%).RegressionanalysesshoweddistalesophagealamplitudeandLESrestingpressure negativelycorrelatedwithreflux score(r ¼ −0.64; p ¼ ... Read more

Objective: we aimed to study systemic sclerosis patients in order to assess osteoprotegerin/Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kB ligand (OPG/RANKL) system and find the relation of these biomarkers with the clinical features of the disease, the carotid intima thickness, markers of inflammation, lipid profile, and other laboratory characteristics. Methods: both the level of (RANKL), (OPG) in sera of participants, in 30 ... Read more