Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis: Evolution in Treatment

¹Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA.

²Deparment of Dermatology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.

³Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA.

⁴Division of Allergy Immunology, Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA.

Corresponding Author: Sara Naji Rad, Nassau University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, East Meadow, New York.

 Tel: 516-572-6501; E-Mail: [email protected]

Received Date: 15 Jan 2017  

Accepted Date: 07 Feb 2017  

Published Date: 09 Feb 2017

Copyright © 2017 Naji Rad S

Citation: Naji Rad S, Rafiee B, Anand P and Frieri M. (2017). Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis: Evolution in Treatment. M J Immu. 1(1): 002.

ABSTRACT

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease with wide variety of clinical presentations which makes its treatment challenging for clinicians. The aim of therapy is to decrease disability and preventing life-threatening organ involvement. Treating patients at an early stage of diffuse systemic sclerosis with proper agents will improve outcomes if initiated before an inflammatory process becomes irreversible. Immunosuppressive therapies with D-penicillamine, methotrexate (MTX), cyclophosphamide and others have been used commonly as classic treatment. Deeper knowledge of the immunopathogenesis of SSc has initiated a new era in treatment of diffuse systemic sclerosis. One of the new areas is biologic therapy including rituximab, imatinib, fresolimumab and others. Studies in biologic therapy have revealed significant improvement among patients with diffuse systemic sclerosis. Also, over the last two decades another challenging area has been introduced with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation which might change the future of systemic sclerosis. This review emphasizes that there are still unmet needs to achieve effective treatment in diffuse SSc and to reach this goal more studies need to be conducted.

KEYWORDS

Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis; Scleroderma; Treatment.