Clinical, Serologic and Instrumental Data of Ten Patients Affected by Sclerodermatous Chronic Graft versus Host Disease: Similarities and Differences in Respect to Systemic Sclerosis

Chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), the most common late complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), may present with sclerodermatous lesions resembling in some cases the cutaneous involvement of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Certain pathogenetic findings connect t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology 2010-01, Vol.23 (1), p.373-377
Main Authors: Barausse, G., Caramaschi, P., Scambi, C., Benedetti, F., Sorio, M., Tinelli, M., Tinazzi, I., Benini, L., Bambara, L.M., Biasi, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Chronic Disease
Female
Graft vs Host Disease - diagnosis
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation - adverse effects
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Scleroderma, Systemic - diagnosis
Skin Diseases - diagnosis
Transplantation, Homologous
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Summary:Chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), the most common late complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), may present with sclerodermatous lesions resembling in some cases the cutaneous involvement of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Certain pathogenetic findings connect the two diseases. In this report we describe ten subjects affected by cGVHD who underwent the examinations routinely carried out to stage SSc patients. Demographic, clinical, serologic and instrumental data were recorded. These patients showed differences in appearance, extent and progression of the sclerodermatous lesions with greater involvement of the trunk and proximal part of the limbs than the extremities. In seven subjects ANA test was positive; scleroderma-associated autoantibodies were not detected in any of the cases. Moreover, typical organ involvement of SSc was not found. Only one patient developed Raynaud's phenomenon after HSCT and only one patient demonstrated a nailfold videocapillaroscopic scleroderma pattern. Except for cutaneous involvement of cGVHD, that may resemble SSc, the clinical features of the two diseases are quite different, suggesting that the fibrotic process characterizing cGVHD and SSc has different etiologies and different initial pathobiologic events.
ISSN:0394-6320
2058-7384
DOI:10.1177/039463201002300139