Rossana Scrivo, Salvatore D'Angelo, Antonio Carriero, Chiara Castellani, Fabio Massimo Perrotta, Fabrizio Conti, Matteo Vecellio, Carlo Selmi, Ennio Lubrano
{"title":"The Conundrum of Psoriatic Arthritis: a Pathogenetic and Clinical Pattern at the Midpoint of Autoinflammation and Autoimmunity.","authors":"Rossana Scrivo, Salvatore D'Angelo, Antonio Carriero, Chiara Castellani, Fabio Massimo Perrotta, Fabrizio Conti, Matteo Vecellio, Carlo Selmi, Ennio Lubrano","doi":"10.1007/s12016-021-08914-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12016-021-08914-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by psoriasis, synovitis, enthesitis, spondylitis, and the possible association with other extra-articular manifestations and comorbidities. It is a multifaceted and systemic disorder sustained by complex pathogenesis, combining aspects of autoinflammation and autoimmunity. Features of PsA autoinflammation include the role of biomechanical stress in the onset and/or exacerbation of the disease; the evidence of involvement of the innate immune response mediators in the skin, peripheral blood and synovial tissue; an equal gender distribution; the clinical course which may encounter periods of prolonged remission and overlapping features with autoinflammatory syndromes. Conversely, the role of autoimmunity is evoked by the association with class I major histocompatibility complex alleles, the polyarticular pattern of the disease which sometimes resembles rheumatoid arthritis and the presence of serum autoantibodies. Genetics also provide important insights into the pathogenesis of PsA, particularly related to class I HLA being associated with psoriasis and PsA. In this review, we provide a comprehensive review of the pathogenesis, genetics and clinical features of PsA that endorse the mixed nature of a disorder at the crossroads of autoinflammation and autoimmunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":"65 1","pages":"72-85"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10142635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"T Cell Abnormalities in X-Linked Agammaglobulinaemia: an Updated Review.","authors":"Sanchi Chawla, Ankur Kumar Jindal, Kanika Arora, Rahul Tyagi, Manpreet Dhaliwal, Amit Rawat","doi":"10.1007/s12016-022-08949-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-022-08949-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) is a primary immunodeficiency (PID) resulting from a defect in the B cell development. It has conventionally been thought that T cells play a major role in the development and function of the B cell compartment. However, it has also been shown that B cells and T cells undergo bidirectional interactions and B cells also influence the structure and function of the T cell compartment. Patients with XLA offer a unique opportunity to understand the effect of absent B cells on the T cell compartment. In this review, we provide an update on abnormalities in the T cell compartment in patients with XLA. Studies have shown impaired memory T cells, follicular helper T cells, T regulatory cells and T helper 17 in patients with XLA. In addition, these patients have also been reported to have abnormal delayed cell-mediated immune responses and vaccine-specific T cell-mediated immune responses; defective T helper cell polarization and impaired T cell receptor diversity. At present, the clinical significance of these T cell abnormalities has not been studied in detail. However, these abnormalities may result in an increased risk of viral infections, autoimmunity, autoinflammation and possibly chronic lung disease. Abnormal response to SARS-Cov2 vaccine in patients with XLA and prolonged persistence of SARS-Cov2 virus in the respiratory tract of these patients may be related to abnormalities in the T cell compartment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":"65 1","pages":"31-42"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9201264/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9774987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rithika Bhat, Antonio Tonutti, Suraj Timilsina, Carlo Selmi, M Eric Gershwin
{"title":"Perspectives on Mycophenolate Mofetil in the Management of Autoimmunity.","authors":"Rithika Bhat, Antonio Tonutti, Suraj Timilsina, Carlo Selmi, M Eric Gershwin","doi":"10.1007/s12016-023-08963-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-023-08963-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Before becoming a cornerstone in the treatment of numerous immune-mediated diseases, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was first introduced as an immunosuppressive agent in transplant immunology and later received the attention of rheumatologists and clinicians involved in the management of autoimmune diseases. MMF is now a widespread immunosuppressive drug for the treatment of several conditions, including lupus nephritis, interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis, and anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis while being efficacious also as rescue therapy in various orphan diseases, including dermatomyositis and IgA-associated nephropathy. Similarly, case reports or series support a possible use of MMF in other rare autoimmune diseases. Beyond modulating lymphocyte activation, MMF acts on other immune and non-immune cells and these effects may explain the therapeutic profile of this medication. The effects of MMF are broadly characterized by the impact on the immune system and the antiproliferative and antifibrotic changes induced. In this latter case, mechanistic data on fibroblasts may in the future allow to reevaluate the use of MMF in selected patients with inflammatory arthritis or systemic sclerosis. Attention must be paid towards the possible occurrence of adverse events, such as gastrointestinal complaints and teratogenicity, while the risk of infections and cancer related to MMF needs to be further investigated.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":"65 1","pages":"86-100"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10174960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tracy Augustine, Manoj Kumar, Souhaila Al Khodor, Nicholas van Panhuys
{"title":"Microbial Dysbiosis Tunes the Immune Response Towards Allergic Disease Outcomes.","authors":"Tracy Augustine, Manoj Kumar, Souhaila Al Khodor, Nicholas van Panhuys","doi":"10.1007/s12016-022-08939-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-022-08939-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The hygiene hypothesis has been popularized as an explanation for the rapid increase in allergic disease observed over the past 50 years. Subsequent epidemiological studies have described the protective effects that in utero and early life exposures to an environment high in microbial diversity have in conferring protective benefits against the development of allergic diseases. The rapid advancement in next generation sequencing technology has allowed for analysis of the diverse nature of microbial communities present in the barrier organs and a determination of their role in the induction of allergic disease. Here, we discuss the recent literature describing how colonization of barrier organs during early life by the microbiota influences the development of the adaptive immune system. In parallel, mechanistic studies have delivered insight into the pathogenesis of disease, by demonstrating the comparative effects of protective T regulatory (Treg) cells, with inflammatory T helper 2 (Th2) cells in the development of immune tolerance or induction of an allergic response. More recently, a significant advancement in our understanding into how interactions between the adaptive immune system and microbially derived factors play a central role in the development of allergic disease has emerged. Providing a deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationship between our microbiome and immune system, which explains key observations made by the hygiene hypothesis. By studying how perturbations that drive dysbiosis of the microbiome can cause allergic disease, we stand to benefit by delineating the protective versus pathogenic aspects of human interactions with our microbial companions, allowing us to better harness the use of microbial agents in the design of novel prophylactic and therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":"65 1","pages":"43-71"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10326151/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9774976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhi-Bin Zhao, Zhen-Hua Bian, Zhang-Mei Lin, Shu-Fan Wu, Jie Long, Yang Cui, Yang Li, Wende Li, Er-Wei Sun, Zhe-Xiong Lian, Yi He
{"title":"Single-Cell Analysis of Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis After Anti-TNFα Treatment: Experimental Data and Review of the Literature.","authors":"Zhi-Bin Zhao, Zhen-Hua Bian, Zhang-Mei Lin, Shu-Fan Wu, Jie Long, Yang Cui, Yang Li, Wende Li, Er-Wei Sun, Zhe-Xiong Lian, Yi He","doi":"10.1007/s12016-023-08959-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12016-023-08959-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Axial spondyloarthritis (Ax-SpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that predominantly affects the axial joints and is most common in young men. However, the precise immune cell subset involved in Ax-SpA remains unclear. Our study characterized the periphery immune landscape of Ax-SpA patients before and after anti-TNFα treatment using single-cell transcriptomics and proteomics sequencing and elucidated the effects of anti-TNFα treatment at the single-cell level. First, we found that peripheral granulocytes and monocytes significantly increased in Ax-SpA patients. Second, we identified a more functional subtype of regulatory T cells, which was present in synovial fluid and increased in patients after treatment. Third, we identified a cluster of inflammatory monocyte subset with stronger inflammatory and chemotactic characteristics. A potential interaction between classical monocytes and granulocytes via the CXCL8/2-CXCR1/2 signaling pathway was observed, which decreased after treatment. Together, these results defined the complex expression profiles and advanced our understanding of the immune atlas in Ax-SpA patients before and after anti-TNFα treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":" ","pages":"136-147"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10860911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shared Pathogenicity Features and Sequences between EBV, SARS-CoV-2, and HLA Class I Molecule-binding Motifs with a Potential Role in Autoimmunity.","authors":"Yekbun Adiguzel, Naim Mahroum, Sylviane Muller, Miri Blank, Gilad Halpert, Yehuda Shoenfeld","doi":"10.1007/s12016-023-08962-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12016-023-08962-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are extraordinary in their ability to activate autoimmunity as well as to induce diverse autoimmune diseases. Here we reviewed the current knowledge on their relation. Further, we suggested that molecular mimicry could be a possible common mechanism of autoimmunity induction in the susceptible individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 and human proteins, and EBV and human proteins, are present. Besides, relation of the pathogenicity associated with both coronavirus diseases and EBV supports the notion. As a proof-of-the-concept, we investigated 8mer sequences with shared 5mers of SARS-CoV-2, EBV, and human proteins, which were predicted as epitopes binding to the same human leukocyte antigen (HLA) supertype representatives. We identified significant number of human peptide sequences with predicted-affinities to the HLA-A*02:01 allele. Rest of the peptide sequences had predicted-affinities to the HLA-A*02:01, HLA-B*40:01, HLA-B*27:05, HLA-A*01:01, and HLA-B*39:01 alleles. Carriers of these serotypes can be under a higher risk of autoimmune response induction upon getting infected, through molecular mimicry-based mechanisms common to SARS-CoV-2 and EBV infections. We additionally reviewed established associations of the identified proteins with the EBV-related pathogenicity and with the autoimmune diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":" ","pages":"206-230"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10260504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heart Involvement in Systemic Sclerosis: the Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.","authors":"Giacomo De Luca, Sara Bombace, Lorenzo Monti","doi":"10.1007/s12016-022-08923-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-022-08923-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe connective tissue disease characterized by diffuse vascular damage and aberrant activation of immune system, resulting in inflammation and fibrosis of skin and internal organs, including the heart. Cardiac involvement is frequent in SSc, even though often unrecognized due to the occult nature at early stages and to the lack of a defined diagnostic algorithm. Once clinically evident, heart involvement is associated with a poor prognosis, representing the leading cause of death in about one third of SSc patients. Thus, its early recognition and monitoring are of crucial importance to allow a prompt therapeutic intervention and to improve patients' outcomes. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is a non-invasive, non-radiating imaging technique of great importance for the assessment of cardiovascular system, and represents the modality of choice for the morpho-functional and structural characterization of the heart. In SSc, CMR allows a precise definition of biventricular and biatrial size and function, and a detailed tissue characterization. CMR has been therefore extensively proposed in SSc as a non-invasive diagnostic tool to characterize heart involvement, particularly myocardial involvement. In this review, we summarize the most recent evidences to support the use of CMR in SSc as an important tool to recognize and characterize scleroderma heart disease. Furthermore, the unmet needs and the future perspectives of a CMR-based approach for the early detection of SSc heart involvement are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":"64 3","pages":"343-357"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9439081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marie Elise Truchetet, Nicolò C Brembilla, Carlo Chizzolini
{"title":"Current Concepts on the Pathogenesis of Systemic Sclerosis.","authors":"Marie Elise Truchetet, Nicolò C Brembilla, Carlo Chizzolini","doi":"10.1007/s12016-021-08889-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-021-08889-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>From the clinical standpoint, systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by skin and internal organ fibrosis, diffuse fibroproliferative vascular modifications, and autoimmunity. Clinical presentation and course are highly heterogenous and life expectancy variably affected mostly dependent on lung and heart involvement. SSc touches more women than men with differences in disease severity and environmental exposure. Pathogenetic events originate from altered homeostasis favored by genetic predisposition, environmental cues and a variety of endogenous and exogenous triggers. Epigenetic modifications modulate SSc pathogenesis which strikingly associate profound immune-inflammatory dysregulation, abnormal endothelial cell behavior, and cell trans-differentiation into myofibroblasts. SSc myofibroblasts show enhanced survival and enhanced extracellular matrix deposition presenting altered structure and altered physicochemical properties. Additional cell types of likely pathogenic importance are pericytes, platelets, and keratinocytes in conjunction with their relationship with vessel wall cells and fibroblasts. In SSc, the profibrotic milieu is favored by cell signaling initiated in the one hand by transforming growth factor-beta and related cytokines and in the other hand by innate and adaptive type 2 immune responses. Radical oxygen species and invariant receptors sensing danger participate to altered cell behavior. Conventional and SSc-specific T cell subsets modulate both fibroblasts as well as endothelial cell dysfunction. Beside autoantibodies directed against ubiquitous antigens important for enhanced clinical classification, antigen-specific agonistic autoantibodies may have a pathogenic role. Recent studies based on single-cell RNAseq and multi-omics approaches are revealing unforeseen heterogeneity in SSc cell differentiation and functional states. Advances in system biology applied to the wealth of data generated by unbiased screening are allowing to subgroup patients based on distinct pathogenic mechanisms. Deciphering heterogeneity in pathogenic mechanisms will pave the way to highly needed personalized therapeutic approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":"64 3","pages":"262-283"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10167130/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9792028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ilaria Cavazzana, Tamara Vojinovic, Paolo Airo', Micaela Fredi, Angela Ceribelli, Eleonora Pedretti, Maria Grazia Lazzaroni, Emirena Garrafa, Franco Franceschini
{"title":"Systemic Sclerosis-Specific Antibodies: Novel and Classical Biomarkers.","authors":"Ilaria Cavazzana, Tamara Vojinovic, Paolo Airo', Micaela Fredi, Angela Ceribelli, Eleonora Pedretti, Maria Grazia Lazzaroni, Emirena Garrafa, Franco Franceschini","doi":"10.1007/s12016-022-08946-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-022-08946-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Disease-specific autoantibodies are considered the most important biomarkers for systemic sclerosis (SSc), due to their ability to stratify patients with different severity and prognosis. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), occurring in subjects with isolated Raynuad's phenomenon, are considered the strongest independent predictors of definite SSc and digital microvascular damage, as observed by nailfold videocapillaroscopy. ANA are present in more than 90% of SSc, but ANA negativity does not exclude SSc diagnosis: a little rate of SSc ANA negative exists and shows a distinct subtype of disease, with less vasculopathy, but more frequent lower gastrointestinal involvement and severe disease course. Anti-centromere, anti-Th/To, and anti-Topoisomerase I antibodies could be considered as classical biomarkers, covering about 60% of SSc and defining patients with well-described cardio-pulmonary complications. In particular, anti-Topoisomerase I represent a risk factor for development of diffuse cutaneous involvement and digital ulcers in the first 3 years of disease, as well as severe interstitial lung disease (ILD). Anti-RNA polymerase III is a biomarker with new clinical implications: very rapid skin thickness progression, gastric antral vascular ectasia, the occurrence of synchronous cancers, and possible association with silicone breast implants rupture. Moreover, novel SSc specific autoantibodies have been globally described in about 10% of \"seronegative\" SSc patients: anti-elF2B, anti-RuvBL1/2 complex, anti-U11/U12 RNP, and anti-BICD2 depict specific SSc subtypes with severe organ complications. Many autoantibodies could be considered markers of overlap syndromes, including SSc. Anti-Ku are found in 2-7% of SSc, strictly defining the PM/SSc overlap. They are associated with synovitis, joint contractures, myositis, and negatively associated with vascular manifestation of disease. Anti-U3RNP are associated with a well-defined clinical phenotype: Afro-Caribbean male patients, younger at diagnosis, and higher risk of pulmonary hypertension and gastrointestinal involvement. Anti-PM/Scl define SSc patients with high frequency of ILD, calcinosis, dermatomyositis skin changes, and severe myositis. The accurate detection of autoantibodies SSc specific and associated with overlap syndromes is crucial for patients' stratification. ANA should be correctly identified using indirect immunofluorescent assay and a standardized way of patterns' interpretation. The gold-standard technique for autoantibodies' identification in SSc is still considered immunoprecipitation, for its high sensitivity and specificity, but other assays have been widely used in routine practice. The identification of SSc autoantibodies with high diagnostic specificity and high predictive value is mandatory for early diagnosis, a specific follow-up and the possible definition of the best therapy for every SSc subsets. In addition, the validation of novel autoantibodies is mandatory in wide","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":"64 3","pages":"412-430"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10167150/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9444757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria-Grazia Lazzaroni, Francesca Crisafulli, Liala Moschetti, Paolo Semeraro, Ana-Rita Cunha, Agna Neto, Andrea Lojacono, Francesca Ramazzotto, Cristina Zanardini, Sonia Zatti, Paolo Airò, Angela Tincani, Franco Franceschini, Laura Andreoli
{"title":"Reproductive Issues and Pregnancy Implications in Systemic Sclerosis.","authors":"Maria-Grazia Lazzaroni, Francesca Crisafulli, Liala Moschetti, Paolo Semeraro, Ana-Rita Cunha, Agna Neto, Andrea Lojacono, Francesca Ramazzotto, Cristina Zanardini, Sonia Zatti, Paolo Airò, Angela Tincani, Franco Franceschini, Laura Andreoli","doi":"10.1007/s12016-021-08910-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-021-08910-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare systemic autoimmune disease that can influence reproductive health. SSc has a strong female predominance, and the disease onset can occur during fertility age in almost 50% of patients. Preconception counseling, adjustment of treatment, and close surveillance during pregnancy by a multidisciplinary team, are key points to minimize fetal and maternal risks and favor successful pregnancy outcomes. The rates of spontaneous pregnancy losses are comparable to those of the general obstetric population, except for patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc and severe internal organ involvement who may carry a higher risk of abortion. Preterm birth can frequently occur in women with SSc, as it happens in other rheumatic diseases. Overall disease activity generally remains stable during pregnancy, but particular attention should be paid to women with major organ disease, such as renal and cardiopulmonary involvement. Women with such severe involvement should be thoroughly informed about the risks during pregnancy and possibly discouraged from getting pregnant. A high frequency of sexual dysfunction has been described among SSc patients, both in females and in males, and pathogenic mechanisms of SSc may play a fundamental role in determining this impairment. Fertility is overall normal in SSc women, while no studies in the literature have investigated fertility in SSc male patients. Nevertheless, some considerations regarding the impact of some immunosuppressive drugs should be done with male patients, referring to the knowledge gained in other rheumatic diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":10423,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology","volume":"64 3","pages":"321-342"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9435061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}