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2025 JAN 4 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- New research on cell therapy is the subject of a new report. [...]

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into endothelial cells and participate in angiogenesis in adults. In experimental models of acute myocardial infarction, mesenchymal stem cells led to the recovery of cardiac function through the formation of a new vascular network. Objective: To describe treatment with intravenous infusions of expanded autologous mesenchymal stern cells in 1 patient with critical limb ischemia due to systemic sclerosis. Design: Case report. Setting: The rheumatology unit at the University of Florence, Florence, Italy. Patient: A woman, aged 34 years, with systemic sclerosis who developed acute gangrene of the upper and lower limbs. Intervention: 3 intravenous pulses of expanded autologous mesenchymal stem cells. Measurements: Angiography, skin histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. Results: Areas of necrotic skin were reduced after the first mesenchymal stem-cell infusion. After the third infusion, angiography showed revascularization of the patient's extremities. Skin section analysis revealed cell clusters with tubelike structures, and angiogenic factors were strongly expressed. Limitation: Causality cannot be established by a single case. Conclusion: In patients with systemic sclerosis who have severe peripheral ischemia, intravenous infusion of expanded autologous mesenchymal stem cells may foster the recovery of the vascular network, restore blood flow, and reduce skin necrosis. Primary Funding Source: Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia (partial funding).

The connective tissue diseases, which are autoimmune disorders (meaning that the immune system is abnormally responding against the body's own tissues), are usually easily identifiable as separate disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS, scleroderma). There are disorders which feature specific overlaps of the characteristic clinical (medical) symptoms, one of which is called mixed connective tissue disease. A disorder in which lupus merges into scleroderma, without any features of mixed connective tissue disease, has been previously described but is rare. Three cases of this uncommon overlap of autoimmune diseases are described. The first patient, a 48-year-old woman, had lupus without systemic disease, but developed PSS eight years later, with skin involvement being predominant. The second patient, a male, had SLE at age nine and developed significant features of lupus eight years later, with symptoms of PSS then evolving many years later. The third patient, a 42-year-old woman, initially had PSS, and then developed symptoms of SLE six years later. Myositis, inflammation of muscles, occurred in the first and third patients. The symptoms, laboratory findings, and responses to drug treatment are described for each patient. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

We describe a 23-year-old woman developed spontaneously a right-side pneumothorax, a condition that has rarely been reported previously in association with systemic sclerosis (SSc). She presented to our clinic with acute onset of shortness of breath, dry cough and chest pain. The spontaneous pneumothorax is caused by rupture of a giant bullae that has been detected before by radiological examinations. Initial management consists of chest tube inserting, pleurodesis, and partial lobectomy in a required patient. We treated our patient by bullae excision operation, because of the prolonged air leakage into chest tube. Keywords: Systemic sclerosis | pneumothorax | bullae | excision., Introduction Spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare complication in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), most likely secondary to subpleural cyst rupture (1). Our patient is the second reported case caused by [...]

Scleroderma is a chronic disease characterized by hardening of the skin and several organs, including the digestive tract, lungs, heart and kidneys. Infrequently, reports have described the development of scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, following exposure to organic solvents. This association is not well described in the rheumatology literature. A case is described of a 41-year-old man who had worked in a foundry for 15 years. The patient originally consulted a doctor about a chemical burn, and was later referred for rheumatological care due to acrosclerosis (hardened, thickened skin on the arms). The patient and other workers commonly immersed their hands in a variety of solvents, some of which were chlorinated; others contained the hydrocarbon benzene. The patient initially had symptoms of Raynaud's syndrome (hands turn blue on exposure to cold) and esophageal reflux (backward flow of stomach contents into the esophagus), both symptoms of systemic sclerosis. He subsequently developed these disorders, as well as painful, pigmented areas on the fingers. The patient also acknowledged difficulty with maintaining an erection. He was a 25 pack-year smoker, and took ibuprofen daily for joint pain. These symptoms, plus involvement of fingernails, met the diagnostic criteria for scleroderma. The disease did not regress when the patient wore gloves during work. No specific cause-and-effect relation between solvent exposure and disease development was proven in this patient, but the evidence is suggestive. Increased awareness of this potential association is important for rheumatologists, occupational health workers, the medical community, and people who work with such solvents. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Case Report Discussion References Abstract Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome (BHD) is characterized by cutaneous manifestations specifically hair follicle tumors, renal neoplasms and pulmonary cysts. We will report [...]

Progressive systemic sclerosis is a rare condition in adults and even more uncommon in children. It is characterized by widespread fibrosis, or formation of fiber-like tissue, and may result from disorders of the small blood vessels and arteries. Impaired function of the endothelial cells lining the inside of the blood vessels and factors within the blood vessels may contribute to conditions that promote blood clot formation, although thrombosis (the development of blood clots) is not a common complication. A case is described of a 16-year-old girl with systemic sclerosis who developed axillary vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a vein situated in the armpit area. The patient had abnormalities of fibrinolysis (the process of breaking down clots) and endothelial cell antibodies (abnormal immune proteins that attack endothelial cells). Anti-endothelial antibodies have been previously detected in 74 percent of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, an inflammatory disease of connective tissue; in 30 percent of patients with systemic sclerosis; and in 28 percent of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory joint disease. The patient also had increased levels of von Willebrand factor, which indicated blood vessel and connective tissue disease. The relation between systemic sclerosis and the development of deep vein thrombosis requires further investigation. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

A 72-year-old taxi cab driver from Nogales, Mexico presented with a 10-year history of a slowly progressive problem involving his hands. Over time, he was less able to hold onto [...]

A 50-year-old woman reported hand swelling of several months' duration. A diuretic had not proven helpful. More recently, her fingers had started feeling tight, and 4- to 6-mm moist ulcers [...]