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Background: Raynaud's phenomenon and the frequently ensuing digital ulcerations represent an early and very distressing symptom in patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma, SSc) causing significant limitations in the ability to work and quality of life. The use of vasoactive drugs (especially intravenous prostacyclin derivatives) is recommended to reduce the risk of hypoxic tissue damage up to the loss of fingers., Methods: In order to obtain information about the current state of treatment of patients with prostacyclin derivatives in routine clinical life in Germany, a survey was conducted among the centers affiliated to the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma (DNSS). In addition, a separate patient survey was conducted by the schleroderma self-help group (Sklerodermie Selbsthilfe e. V.), which only covered the symptoms Raynaud's syndrome, digital ulcers and the use of intravenous prostacyclin derivatives., Results: Of the 433 patients surveyed 56% stated that they had already been treated with prostacyclin derivatives (iloprost/alprostadil) because of their illness and symptoms. A total of 61% received the treatment for severe Raynaud's phenomenon and 39% for digital ulcerations. Most respondents not only experienced an improvement in Raynaud's phenomenon and digital ulcers but also a significant improvement of limitations in everyday life. They also needed significantly less outside help and absenteeism from work was much lower., Conclusion: Patients consistently reported a positive effect of treatment with prostacyclin derivatives on Raynaud's phenomenon, acral ulcerations, pain and daily restrictions and felt well and safely cared for during inpatient treatment. These positive effects in the patients' perceptions provide crucial information supporting and confirming the current European and international treatment recommendations.

Background and Objectives: Erysipelas, caused by beta-hemolytic streptococci, and limited cellulitis, frequently caused by Staphylococcus aureus or other bacteria, are skin and soft tissue infections characterized by typical clinical signs. However, despite the therapeutical relevance they are often not differentiated (e.g in clinical trials). Erysipelas are efficiently treated with penicillin, while limited cellulitis is treated with more wide-spectrum antibiotics. This study investigates whether parameters such as CRP, blood counts or novel parameters like immature granulocytes could serve as biomarkers to distinguish between these entities., Patients and Methods: For this retrospective analysis 163 patients were included. We compared laboratory markers in patients with erysipelas (n = 68) to those with limited cellulitis (n = 41) of the leg. Both erysipelas and limited cellulitis were defined clinically, with an additional aspect for erysipelas being a prompt response to penicillin., Results: Erysipelas were characterized by higher levels of inflammation. CRP and leukocyte counts are the best parameters to discriminate between both infections. A CRP value ≥ 3.27 mg/dl indicated the diagnosis of erysipelas with 75 % sensitivity and 73.2 % specificity., Conclusions: Our results support the thesis that erysipelas and limited cellulitis are distinct infections as defined in the German guidelines and that an assessment of CRP and leukocytes is useful for differential diagnosis., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft.)

Objectives: Systemic sclerosis is a heterogeneous, multisystem disease. It can occur at any age, but most patients develop the disease between the age of 40 to 50 years. There is controversial evidence on whether/how the age at disease onset affects their clinical phenotype. We here investigate the relationship between age at disease onset and symptoms in a large cohort of SSc patients (lcSSc, dcSSc and SSc-overlap syndromes)., Methods: Clinical data of the registry of the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma including 3281 patients were evaluated and subdivided into three age groups at disease onset (<40 years, 40-60 years, >60 years)., Results: Among all SSc patients, 24.5% developed their first non-Raynaud phenomenon symptoms at the age <40 years, and 22.5% were older than 60 years of age. In particular, older patients at onset developed the lcSSc subset significantly more often. Furthermore, they had pulmonary hypertension more often, but digital ulcerations less often. Remarkably, the course of the disease was more rapidly progressing in the older cohort (>60 years), except for gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal involvement. No significant difference was found for the use of corticosteroids. However, significantly, fewer patients older than 60 years received immunosuppressive treatment., Conclusion: In this large registry, ∼25% of patients developed SSc at an age above 60 years with an increased frequency of lcSSc. In this age group, an onset of internal organ involvement was significantly accelerated across all three subsets. These findings suggest that, in the elderly cohort, more frequent follow-up examinations are required for an earlier detection of organ complications., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.)

Objective: Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is a severe life-threatening manifestation in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, the knowledge about risk factors for SRC is limited. We determined here the frequency of SRC and identified risk factors for the prediction of SRC., Methods: Based on regular followup data from the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma, we used univariate and multivariate generalized estimating equations to analyze the association between clinical variables, SSc subsets, therapy [i.e., angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), corticosteroids], and the occurrence of SRC., Results: Data of 2873 patients with 10,425 visits were available for analysis with a mean number of registry visits of 3.6 ± 2.8 and a mean time of followup of 3.6 ± 3.8 years. In total, 70 patients developed SRC (70/2873, 2.4%). Of these patients, 57.1% (40/70) were diagnosed with diffuse cutaneous SSc, 31.4% (22/70) with limited cutaneous SSc, and 11.4% (8/70) with SSc-overlap syndromes. Predictive independent factors with the highest probability for SRC were positive anti-RNA polymerase antibodies (RNAP), a history of proteinuria prior to SRC onset, diminished DLCO, and a history of hypertension. Interestingly, positive antitopoisomerase autoantibodies did not predict a higher risk for SRC. Further, patients with SRC were significantly more frequently treated with ACEi and corticosteroids without being independently associated with SRC., Conclusion: In this cohort, SRC has become a rare complication. By far the highest risk for SRC was associated with the detection of anti-RNAP and proteinuria.

Objective: Vasculopathy is a key factor in the pathophysiology of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the main cause for Raynaud phenomenon (RP), digital ulcers (DU), and/or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It is so far unknown how patients with SSc are treated with vasoactive agents in daily practice. To determine to which extent patients with SSc were treated with different vasoactive agents, we used data from the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma registry., Methods: The data of 3248 patients with SSc were analyzed., Results: Patients were treated with vasoactive drugs in 61.1% of cases (1984/3248). Of these, 47.6% received calcium channel inhibitors, followed by 34.2% treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, 21.1% treated with intravenous (IV) prostanoids, 10.1% with pentoxifylline, 8.8% with angiotensin 1 receptor antagonists (AT1RA), 8.7% with endothelin 1 receptor antagonists (ET1RA), 4.1% with phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, and 5.3% with others. Patients with RP received vasoactive therapy in 63.3% of cases, with DU in 70.1%, and with PAH in 78.2% of cases. Logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with PAH were significantly more often treated with PDE5 inhibitors and ET1RA, and those with DU with ET1RA and IV prostanoids. In addition, 41.8% of patients were treated with ACE inhibitors and/or AT1RA. Patients registered after 2009 received significantly more often ET1RA, AT1RA, and IV prostanoids compared with patients registered prior to 2005., Conclusion: These data clearly indicate that many patients with SSc do not yet receive sufficient vasoactive therapy. Further, in recent years, a marked change of treatment regimens can be observed.

Background: Hyperzincemia and hypercalprotectinemia (Hz/Hc) is a distinct autoinflammatory entity involving extremely high serum concentrations of the proinflammatory alarmin myeloid-related protein (MRP) 8/14 (S100A8/S100A9 and calprotectin)., Objective: We sought to characterize the genetic cause and clinical spectrum of Hz/Hc., Methods: Proline-serine-threonine phosphatase-interacting protein 1 (PSTPIP1) gene sequencing was performed in 14 patients with Hz/Hc, and their clinical phenotype was compared with that of 11 patients with pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, and acne (PAPA) syndrome. PSTPIP1-pyrin interactions were analyzed by means of immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. A structural model of the PSTPIP1 dimer was generated. Cytokine profiles were analyzed by using the multiplex immunoassay, and MRP8/14 serum concentrations were analyzed by using an ELISA., Results: Thirteen patients were heterozygous for a missense mutation in the PSTPIP1 gene, resulting in a p.E250K mutation, and 1 carried a mutation resulting in p.E257K. Both mutations substantially alter the electrostatic potential of the PSTPIP1 dimer model in a region critical for protein-protein interaction. Patients with Hz/Hc have extremely high MRP8/14 concentrations (2045 ± 1300 μg/mL) compared with those with PAPA syndrome (116 ± 74 μg/mL) and have a distinct clinical phenotype. A specific cytokine profile is associated with Hz/Hc. Hz/Hc mutations altered protein binding of PSTPIP1, increasing interaction with pyrin through phosphorylation of PSTPIP1., Conclusion: Mutations resulting in charge reversal in the y-domain of PSTPIP1 (E→K) and increased interaction with pyrin cause a distinct autoinflammatory disorder defined by clinical and biochemical features not found in patients with PAPA syndrome, indicating a unique genotype-phenotype correlation for mutations in the PSTPIP1 gene. This is the first inborn autoinflammatory syndrome in which inflammation is driven by uncontrolled release of members of the alarmin family., (Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc)-overlap syndromes are a very heterogeneous and remarkable subgroup of SSc-patients, who present at least two connective tissue diseases (CTD) at the same time, usually with a specific autoantibody status., Objectives: To determine whether patients, classified as overlap syndromes, show a disease course different from patients with limited SSc (lcSSc) or diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc)., Methods: The data of 3240 prospectively included patients, registered in the database of the German Network for Systemic Scleroderma and followed between 2003 and 2013, were analysed., Results: Among 3240 registered patients, 10% were diagnosed as SSc-overlap syndrome. Of these, 82.5% were female. SSc-overlap patients had a mean age of 48±1.2 years and carried significantly more often 'other antibodies' (68.0%; p<0.0001), including anti-U1RNP, -PmScl, -Ro, -La, as well as anti-Jo-1 and -Ku antibodies. These patients developed musculoskeletal involvement earlier and more frequently (62.5%) than patients diagnosed as lcSSc (32.2%) or dcSSc (43.3%) (p<0.0001). The onset of lung fibrosis and heart involvement in SSc-overlap patients was significantly earlier than in patients with lcSSc and occurred later than in patients with dcSSc. Oesophagus, kidney and PH progression was similar to lcSSc patients, whereas dcSSc patients had a significantly earlier onset., Conclusions: These data support the concept that SSc-overlap syndromes should be regarded as a separate SSc subset, distinct from lcSSc and dcSSc, due to a different progression of the disease, different proportional distribution of specific autoantibodies, and of different organ involvement., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)