Systemic sclerosis with anti-RNA polymerase III positivity following silicone breast implant rupture: possible role of B-cell depletion and implant removal in the treatment.

Despite some case reports and small series of women with silicone breast implants (SBI) developing Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), no clear evidence of an association of SBI with SSc is available. However, SSc is characterized by clinical and immunological heterogeneity and autoantibodies are currently the best markers to stratify this heterogeneity of patients. Therefore, we have reviewed the literature for details of autoantibody characterization in reports of SSc associated with SBI.

An individualized rehabilitation program in patients with systemic sclerosis may improve quality of life and hand mobility.

Few data are available to assess the efficacy of rehabilitative interventions in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We refer here the results of an individualized rehabilitation program in 16 patients with SSc. In particular, when possible, the number of patients who achieved a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was determined.

Health-related quality of life measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) in systemic sclerosis: correlations with indexes of disease activity and severity, disability, and depressive symptoms.

The aim of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), to compare it with that of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to correlate it with other parameters. HR-QOL was evaluated by the Short Form 36 (SF-36), SSc disease activity and severity by preliminary indexes recently proposed, disability by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and depressive symptoms by the Beck Depression Inventory. HR-QOL perception was not statistically different in patients with SSc and RA, except that patients with diffuse cutaneous involvement had worse scores in the general health and mental health dimensions than patients with RA (p=0.

Dermatomyositis associated with lymphoproliferative disorder of NK cells and occult small cell lung carcinoma.

We report a case of dermatomyositis that was associated with a marked expansion of circulating NK cells (CD3-CD16+) with homogeneous phenotype (CD56- CD94- CD159a- CD244+) which satisfied the updated diagnostic criteria for the lymphoproliferative disorder of granular lymphocytes/NK cells. Immunosuppressive treatment induced remission of the dermatomyositis and decreased the number of circulating NK cells. However, a small cell lung carcinoma, that was occult at the time of the presentation of dermatomyositis, was diagnosed 10 months thereafter.