Photo Credit: DouglasOlivares
The following is a summary of “Pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis: can sex play a role?” published in the November 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Koletsos et al.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease with significant complications. Limited data exists on the role of sex in small airway disease (SAD) in patients with SSc.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate the impact of sex in patients with SSc, focusing on SAD.
They recruited consecutive patients diagnosed with SSc who visited the department until January 2024. Demographic data, disease manifestations, serological profiles, and internal organ involvement were compared between male and female patients.
The results showed that 393 patients (female-to-male ratio 6:1) were included. Female patients had a longer median time to diagnosis after Raynaud’s onset. Electrocardiogram abnormalities were more common in males, while telangiectasias, calcinosis, and arthralgias were more common in females. Male patients had a higher prevalence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and a shorter time to diagnosis, while females had a lower maximal-mid expiratory flow rate (MMEF) and higher residual volume to total lung capacity ratio. Sex remained an independent predictor of MMEF in multivariate analysis.
Investigators concluded that SAD was more prevalent in female patients with SSc, while ILD was more common in males, highlighting significant sex-related differences with implications for disease course and management.
Source: academic.oup.com/rheumatology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/rheumatology/keae639/7908402
