Check out the latest research updates from the wider community from this month. While we didn’t fund these projects, we’re encouraged to see a continued focus on understanding scleroderma.
Delayed Gastric Emptying Predicts Adverse Outcomes in Systemic Sclerosis
This study was co-authored by SRF-funded investigator Zsuzanna McMahan, MD, MHS, examining whether delayed gastric emptying can predict serious outcomes in scleroderma patients. The research team found that gastric dysmotility was independently associated with a significantly higher risk of death or lung transplantation.
Genetic links to systemic sclerosis may differ by sex, new study finds
CONQUER Steering Committee Co-Chair Shervin Assassi, MD, MS, co-authored this study examining how genetic factors linked to scleroderma may affect women and men differently. The researchers identified several sex-specific genetic regions associated with the disease, offering early insights toward more personalized treatment approaches.
Autoantibodies tied to symptoms, complications in scleroderma study
A new study found that SSc-specific autoantibodies like anti-Scl70 and anti-centromere are strong predictors of distinct disease complications, while broader, non-specific antibody testing showed limited clinical value in this population.
Liver enzyme levels help diagnose autoimmune hepatitis in SSc: Study
A new study out of Turkey found that roughly 7% of people with systemic sclerosis also had autoimmune hepatitis, identifying elevated ALT levels as the most accurate noninvasive predictor of the condition.
