Active clinical trials for "Scleroderma, Systemic"

This study is to determine if subjects with .systemic sclerosis have stimulatory autoantibodies to the PDGF receptor and to confirm activation (phosphorylation) of the PDGF receptor in skin sites with varying degrees of skin thickening

It is difficult to predict how a women with an autoimmune disease will do during pregnancy. Some women will improve, others will worsen. Some pregnancies progress normally and others become very complicated. The Duke Autoimmunity in Pregnancy (DAP) Registry will enroll women with autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and Sjogren's syndrome who wish to become, or already are, pregnant. We will follow these women throughout pregnancy to better understand how their autoimmune disease affects their pregnancy, and vice versa.

Urinary symptoms must be frequent in Scleroderma. In one hand, mobility limitation by joint stiffness and skin sclerosis, forced diuresis due to heart involvement (cardiomyopathy or pulmonary hypertension), diuretics use and corticoid-induced hyperglycaemia, as well as narcotic medication use, puts patients at higher risk of secondary bladder filling and voiding dysfunction. In another hand, few case report and small sample observational studies have identified a specific sclerosis of the urinary tract. Those two mechanisms must be more frequent in the diffuse cutaneous form of scleroderma (dcSSc) compare to the limited one (lcSSc). But prevalence or incidence is unknown. Urinary symptoms are seldom reported by those suffering from them and are rarely part of a systemic evaluation. In a threatening disease, urinary symptoms assessment might seem to be of no priority. But LUTS have a real impact on many aspect of everyday living. Furthermore urinary tract involvement might predispose to urinary tract infection due to flow limitation and stagnation. Since it is an inner fibrosis it might be associated with a more aggressive form of disease conferring a greater loss of physical function, higher risk for hospital admission and death. Thus, identifying urinary symptoms would permit to address specific rehabilitation or medication therapy, in order to minimize the consequences of the bothersome symptoms and identify those subjects at higher risk of urinary infection, aggressive disease/loss of function or death. This study will also give basement to build an interventional study directed toward LUTS treatment in this population. In this prospective cohort we would like to: Compare the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in diffuse and limited forms of systemic sclerosis. Determine the prevalence (at inclusion) and incidence (in a two years period) of LUTS among patients suffering from systemic sclerosis. Evaluate the impact of LUTS symptoms on Quality of life. Compare the discrimination ability of Cochin-hand score and HAQ score to predict incontinence in this population. Evaluate the association between LUTS symptoms, hospital admission rate, urinary tract infection, mortality and loss of autonomy.

Scleroderma and other rheumatologic conditions can affect the skin. Scleroderma in particular involves skin thickening and hardening. Currently, looking at the degree that the skin is affected by scleroderma is measured based on a combination of a physical exam and a skin biopsy. The researchers propose to measure skin hardness using ultrasound imaging of elasticity. They will use a technique using acoustic radiation force impulse/shear wave velocity imaging , known as ARFI/SVI). The investigators hypothesize that ARFI/SVI may be able to distinguish between normal skin and skin affected by scleroderma.. This tool may also help to quantify the amount of fibrosis in the skin. This type of radiologic biomarker could be used to help confirm the diagnosis of scleroderma.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by autoimmunity and vasculopathy resulting in fibrosis of the skin and internal organs including the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Key unmet clinical needs are the availability of non-invasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of SSc-GI, further characterization of different stages of SSc-GI and SSc-GI treatment response. The investigators propose combining MRI FDG-PET with MRI T1-MOLLI mapping, which has been applied to cardiac imaging to quantify histologically correlated cardiac fibrosis. T1-MOLLI enables detection and quantification of diffuse fibrosis without the need for contrast. Aim 1: FDG-PET-MRI imaging (primary biomarker) and stool markers (secondary biomarker) will be compared between patients with VEDOSS/early SSc and those with late SSc not on immunosuppressive treatment. Aim 2: Evaluation of change in biomarker levels from pre-treatment baseline to 6 months (primary end-point) and 12-months (secondary end-point) following MMF treatment, in early SSc patients Using precision medicine approach in diagnosis and treatment evaluation, the investigators anticipate that this study will contribute significantly to advance management strategies for, and improve outcomes of SSc-GI disease.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc, AKA scleroderma) is an autoimmune condition characterized by endothelial damage and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. One of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with SSc is pulmonary hypertension (PH), which is estimated to occur in up to 31% of high risk SSc patients. Early detection of patients with SSc-PH may lead to improved outcomes and although there have been concerted efforts to accurately screen for SSc-PH, these patients continue to present with advanced disease and suffer from poor survival. Therefore, better methods to screen for patients with PH and, perhaps more importantly, to screen for those at risk for PH development are desperately needed. Since PH and SSc are disorders originating from the endothelium, biomarkers that reflect endothelial damage are very promising tools to identify early disease. Such potential biomarkers include endothelial microparticles, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), pentraxin-3, and soluble endoglin. No previous study has used a combination of these biomarkers to detect the presence of PH in patients with SSc, or studied the novel concept of exercise-induced changes in biomarker levels. The investigators will collect the above listed endothelial biomarkers before and after exercise, and combine these levels with exercise echocardiogram findings, and routine clinical information to derive a composite detection score for the early identification of systemic sclerosis-associated PH.

This is an observational - non interventional study. The investigators will compare IgG4 levels of 80 healthy donors (from Israel blood bank - MDA) and 80 Systemic Sclerosis patients from Meir Medical Center.

Systemic sclerosis is an orphan, multiorgan disease affecting the connective tissue of the skin and all internal organs. Cardiac involvement, mainly characterised by small intramyocardial coronary artery involvement and myocardial fibrosis, can cause the development of impaired diastolic ventricular filling, cardiac blocks and ventricular arrhythmias, and can ensue in congestive heart failure and sudden death. Until now, no drug has been proven to have a therapeutic effect on SSc myocardial disease on an evidence-based level. Short-term trials and retrospective studies have suggested a favourable and protective effect of calcium channel blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in patients with myocardial involvement. However, no data are presently available on the prevention and treatment of severe heart disease. This observational trial is part of the collaborative project "DeSScipher", one out of five observational trials to decipher the optimal management of systemic sclerosis. Aim of this observational trial is to assess the efficacy and safety of calcium channel blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in asymptomatic SSc patients with cardiac involvement.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an orphan, multiorgan disease affecting the connective tissue of the skin and several internal organs. Beside skin involvement, digital ulcers, tendinitis, calcinosis and flexion contractures, the presence of hand arthritis is a major contributor to impairment of hand function in systemic sclerosis. Several immunomodulatory drugs used in other rheumatic diseases (including methotrexate, leflunomide, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil and low-dose corticosteroids) can potentially improve arthritis and consequently hand function in systemic sclerosis. For the assessment of arthritis, the CDAI (clinical disease activity index) is validated in rheumatoid arthritis, and may be useful for SSc-related arthritis, too. This observational trial is part of the collaborative project "DeSScipher", one out of five observational trials to decipher the optimal management of systemic sclerosis. Aim of this observational trial is to: investigate the efficacy and safety of different treatments on hand dysfunction in systemic sclerosis patients with hand arthritis and to validate the CDAI for arthritis in systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an orphan, multiorgan disease affecting the connective tissue of the skin and all internal organs. Interstitial lung disease is a frequent morbidity and mortality-driving manifestation in systemic sclerosis. This observational trial (OT) is part of the collaborative project "DeSScipher", one out of five OTs to decipher the optimal management of systemic sclerosis. Aim of this observational try is to identify: The state of clinical practice in Europe for prevention and treatment of interstitial lung disease and its impact on lung function and disease progression The potential predictors and confounders for response to therapy