Geographical heterogeneity of clinical and serological phenotypes of systemic sclerosis observed at tertiary referral centres. The experience of the Italian SIR-SPRING registry and review of the world literature

Clodoveo Ferri, Rossella De Angelis, Dilia Giuggioli, Gianluigi Bajocchi, Lorenzo Dagna, Giovanni Zanframundo, Rosario Foti, Fabio Cacciapaglia, Giovanna Cuomo, Alarico Ariani, Edoardo Rosato, Serena Guiducci, Francesco Girelli, Valeria Riccieri, Elisabetta Zanatta, Silvia Laura Bosello, Ilaria Cavazzana, Francesca Ingegnoli, Maria De Santis, Giuseppe MurdacaGiuseppina Abignano, Nicoletta Romeo, Alessandra Della Rossa, Maurizio Caminiti, Annamaria Iuliano, Giovanni Ciano, Lorenzo Beretta, Gianluca Bagnato, Ennio Lubrano, Ilenia De Andres, Alessandro Giollo, Marta Saracco, Cecilia Agnes, Federica Lumetti, Amelia Spinella, Luca Magnani, Corrado Campochiaro, Giacomo De Luca, Veronica Codullo, Elisa Visalli, Francesco Masini, Antonietta Gigante, Silvia Bellando-Randone, Greta Pellegrino, Erika Pigatto, Maria Grazia Lazzaroni, Franco Franceschini, Elena Generali, Gianna Mennillo, Simone Barsotti, Giuseppa Pagano Mariano, Francesca Calabrese, Federica Furini, Licia Vultaggio, Simone Parisi, Clara Lisa Peroni, Davide Rozza, Anna Zanetti, Greta Carrara, Giampiero Landolfi, Carlo Alberto Scirè, Gerolamo Bianchi, Enrico Fusaro, Gian Domenico Sebastiani, Marcello Govoni, Salvatore D'Angelo, Franco Cozzi, Andrea Doria, Florenzo Iannone, Carlo Salvarani, Marco Matucci-Cerinic

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

Abstract

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by a complex etiopathogenesis encompassing both host genetic and environmental -infectious/toxic- factors responsible for altered fibrogenesis and diffuse microangiopathy. A wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes may be observed in patients' populations from different geographical areas. We investigated the prevalence of specific clinical and serological phenotypes in patients with definite SSc enrolled at tertiary referral centres in different Italian geographical macro-areas. The observed findings were compared with those reported in the world literature.Materials and methods: The clinical features of 1538 patients (161 M, 10.5%; mean age 59.8 +/- 26.9 yrs.; mean disease duration 8.9 +/- 7.7 yrs) with definite SSc recruited in 38 tertiary referral centres of the SPRING (Systemic sclerosis Progression INvestiGation Group) registry promoted by Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR) were obtained and clustered according to Italian geographical macroareas.Results: Patients living in Southern Italy were characterized by more severe clinical and/or serological SSc phenotypes compared to those in Northern and Central Italy; namely, they show increased percentages of diffuse cutaneous SSc, digital ulcers, sicca syndrome, muscle involvement, arthritis, cardiopulmonary symptoms, interstitial lung involvement at HRCT, as well increased prevalence of serum anti-Scl70 autoantibodies. In the same SSc population immunusppressive drugs were frequently employed. The review of the literature underlined the geographical heterogeneity of SSc phenotypes, even if the observed findings are scarcely comparable due to the variability of methodological approaches.Conclusion: The phenotypical differences among SSc patients' subgroups from Italian macro-areas might be correlated to genetic/environmental co-factors, and possibly to a not equally distributed national network of information and healthcare facilities.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-9
Number of pages9
JournalAutoimmunity Reviews
Volume21
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords

  • Environmental
  • Geographical areas
  • Macro-areas
  • Referral
  • Scleroderma
  • Systemic sclerosis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Geographical heterogeneity of clinical and serological phenotypes of systemic sclerosis observed at tertiary referral centres. The experience of the Italian SIR-SPRING registry and review of the world literature'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this