Publications by authors named "F M Wigley"
Purpose Of Review: The present review aims to address systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated myocardial disease, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, by examining the mechanisms of inflammation, microvascular dysfunction, and fibrosis that drive cardiac involvement. The objective is to elucidate critical risk factors and explore advanced diagnostic tools for early detection, enhancing patient outcomes by identifying those at highest risk.
Recent Findings: Recent studies underscore the importance of specific autoantibody profiles, disease duration, and cardiovascular comorbidities as key risk factors for severe cardiac manifestations in SSc.
Distinct clinical trajectories of gastrointestinal progression among patients with systemic sclerosis.
Rheumatology (Oxford)
August 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on systemic sclerosis (SSc) and aims to identify different gastrointestinal (GI) phenotypes among patients, considering how these can change over time in severity.* -
- Researchers analyzed data from 2,696 SSc patients and discovered four distinct GI phenotypes: one stable group and three progressive groups, with variations in symptom severity and mortality.* -
- The findings suggest that these GI phenotypes are linked to specific autoantibody profiles, highlighting the clinical significance of understanding these patterns for better patient management.*
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to explore whether differences in autoantibodies among self-identified black and white systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients contributed to racial variations in disease severity, analyzing 803 black and 2,178 white patients.
- - Results indicated that specific autoantibodies were more prevalent in black patients, who also experienced more severe symptoms, particularly in areas like lung, skin, and renal disease, while white patients had more heart and muscle issues.
- - The findings suggest that although autoantibodies play a role in disease outcomes, they only partially explain the racial disparities observed, implying that other factors must also be considered in understanding these differences.
Objective: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies have dramatically improved outcomes in multiple cancers. ICI's mechanism of action involves immune system activation to augment anti-tumor immunity. Patients with pre-existing autoimmune diseases, such as systemic sclerosis (SSc), were excluded from initial ICI clinical trials due to concern that such immune system activation could precipitate an autoimmune disease flare or new, severe immune related adverse events (irAE).
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- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is typically seen as a contraindication for radiation therapy, but this study evaluates the outcomes of patients with both SSc and locally advanced head and neck (H&N) cancer treated with radiation.
- Thirteen SSc patients who underwent radiation therapy were analyzed, revealing a five-year survival rate of 54%, with notable side effects including skin thickening and reduced neck motion in many cases, yet no significant progression of SSc-related lung disease.
- Treatment strategies like pentoxifylline and vitamin E were employed to combat radiation-induced fibrosis, indicating that while there are risks, effective management is possible during radiation therapy for these patients.