Intriguing Relationships Between Cancer and Systemic Sclerosis: Role of the Immune System and Other Contributors

Comorbidity burden in systemic sclerosis: beyond disease-specific complications

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic, systemic disease characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, vasculopathy, and auto-immune activation. On the top of severe organ involvement such as interstitial lung and myocardial fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and renal crisis, individuals diagnosed with SSc may suffer from a number of comorbidities. This is a narrative review according to published recommendations and we searched the online databases MEDLINE and EMBASE using as key words the following terms: systemic sclerosis, scleroderma, myocardial fibrosis in combination with micro- and macro-vascular disease, cardiac involvement, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and coronary arteries, infections, cancer, depression, osteoporosis, and dyslipidemia. Although data are usually inconclusive it appears that comorbidities with significant impact on life expectancy, namely cardiovascular disease, infections, and cancer as well as phycological disorders affecting emotional and mental health are highly prevalent in SSc population. Thereafter, the aim of this review is to summarize the occurrence and the clinical significance of such comorbidities in SSc population and to discuss how rheumatologists can incorporate the management of these conditions in daily clinical practice.

Immunopathogenesis of Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis

Juvenile-onset systemic sclerosis (jSSc) is a rare and severe autoimmune disease with associated life-threatening organ inflammation and evidence of fibrosis. The organ manifestations of jSSc resemble adult SSc, but with better outcomes and survival. The etiology of jSSc appears to reflect adult-onset SSc, with similar inflammatory mediators and autoantibodies, but with a significant population of children with uncharacterized anti-nuclear antibodies. The genetics of patients with jSSc differ from women with SSc, resembling instead the genes of adult males with SSc, with additional HLA genes uniquely associated with childhood-onset disease. Current treatments are aimed at inhibiting the inflammatory aspect of disease, but important mechanisms of fibrosis regulated by dermal white adipose tissue dendritic cells may provide an avenue for targeting and potentially reversing the fibrotic stage.