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Rheumatology 2008 47(Supplement 5):v36-v38; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ken270
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

This article appears in the following Rheumatology issue: Update in systemic sclerosis [View the issue table of contents]

Biomarkers in systemic sclerosis

J. P. Doran1 and D. J. Veale1

1Department of Rheumatology, Bone and Joint Unit, St Vincent's University Hospital and Dublin Academic Healthcare, Dublin, Ireland.

Correspondence to: D. J. Veale, Department of Rheumatology, Bone and Joint Unit, Dublin Academic Healthcare, St Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Ireland. E-mail: douglas.veale{at}ucd.ie


  Abstract

SSc is a CTD, which may cause critical organ fibrosis. It has a highly variable clinical presentation and course. While it is more common in females, this heterogeneity has led to significant problems with classification. Biomedical (clinical) and biomolecular markers to identify diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic response have been elusive in part as a result of difficulties with classification and also due to the rarity of the disease. Existing biomarkers have been identified largely in small cohorts and larger cross-sectional or occasional longitudinal observational cohorts. The nature of biomarkers requires well-defined clinical characteristics and/or defined clinical outcomes and this has been extremely challenging to the international SSc research community. This brief review summarizes the current level of knowledge; however, it most importantly highlights the potential now to find biomarkers through a large, multicentre, international collaborative group approach.

KEY WORDS: Systemic sclerosis, Scleroderma, Raynaud's phenomenon, Biomarkers, Collagen breakdown products, Acute-phase reactants, Immunoserological markers, Serum pro-brain natriuretic peptide, Serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, Endothelin

Submitted 1 May 2008; Accepted 18 June 2008


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