Researchers from Georgetown University and the University of Pittsburgh said this week that three proteins are linked to worse outcomes in systemic sclerosis in African-American patients. The finding, which was published Thursday in "Arthritis & Rheumatism," suggests that physicians can use these disease markers to screen and treat scleroderma patients more proactively.

Virginia D. Steen, M.D., professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, and a member of the Scleroderma Foundation's National Medical Advisory Board, along with colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh, helped develop the database, which includes demographic, clinical, autoantibody, organ involvement and survival information for 203 African-American and nearly 3,000 Caucasian scleroderma patients seen at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 1972 and 2007.

In addition to Steen, authors of the study include: Robyn T. Domsic, Mary Lucas, Noreen Fertig,  and Thomas A. Medsger, Jr., of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Medsger also is a member of Foundation's National Medical Advisory Board.

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May Also Prove Helpful for Ischemic Digital Ulcers Associated with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) 

 

PRESS RELEASE  

ALLSCHWIL/BASEL, SWITZERLAND - Actelion announced that initial analysis indicates that the pivotal, long-term, event-driven study SERAPHIN with macitentan, a novel dual endothelin receptor antagonist, in 742 patients suffering from pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and treated for up to three and a half years, has met its primary endpoint.

 

Macitentan, at both the 3 mg and 10 mg dose, decreased the risk of a morbidity/mortality event over the treatment period versus placebo. This risk was reduced by 45 percent in the 10 mg dose group (p<0.0001). At 3 mg, the observed risk reduction was 30 percent (p=0.0108). Treatment with macitentan in the SERAPHIN study was well tolerated.

  

Download the full press release as a PDF.  

Here are some other sample workshops for this year's conference:      

 

Eating Well With Scleroderma: This session will focus on the nutritional needs of people with scleroderma, with specific emphasis on preventing malnutrition and vitamin/mineral deficiencies, decreasing inflammation, managing gastrointestinal challenges, and fighting fatigue by way of healthy food and lifestyle choices. The speaker is a registered dietitian, who also has had scleroderma for 10 years. Presented by Linda Kaminski, M.S.  

 

Scleroderma and Sexuality: Can you live well with scleroderma and have a good sex life too? The answer is yes! Learn how to compensate for some impediments caused by scleroderma. Our speaker has written and presented on the topic of scleroderma and sexuality and is frank and engaging. Presented by Elaine Furst, R.N., B.S.N., M.A. 

 

Register for this year's conference in Dallas July 27-29. You also can view other workshop descriptions, learn about the hotel and more on our website. Remember, the early bird registration deadline is Friday, June 29. 

Join the Scleroderma Foundation's Southern California Chapter for their next teleseminar at 11 a.m. (Pacific) Thursday, May 24. Dr. Daniel Furst will discuss "GI Involvement in Scleroderma." Dr. Furst is the Carl M. Pearson Professor of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, and Director, Rheumatology Clinical Research Center.

The teleseminar is open to everyone. Simply call (877) 216-1555 and enter the passcode 981555. For more information, contact Karen Gottesman at (877) 443-5755.