title: Clinical and serological comparison of 17 chronic progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) and 17 CREST syndrome patients matched for sex, age, and disease duration.
abstract: This study compares the clinical and serological differences between 17 PSS and 17 carefully matched CREST patients. Patients were matched for sex, age by decade, and, importantly, disease duration (11.2 +/- 9.2 vs. 12.0 +/- 9.3 years). Muscular and skin involvement were greater for the PSS groups (p less than 0.02) and pulmonary involvement was also greater (p less than 0.05), at least for non-smoking PSS patients. On the other hand no clinically significant differences were found between groups for other visceral involvement--including comparisons of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal involvement. There were also no laboratory differences except in anti-RNP antibody (p less than 0.04).
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000150:complications*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012907:Smoking; D013577:Syndrome; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor