Scleroderma in the Caribbean: characteristics in a Dominican case series.
BACKGROUND
Scleroderma is a rare disease with limited data in Latin America. Preliminary genetic studies suggest a strong African ascendance in the Dominican Republic, which could modulate the expression of the disease. The objective of this study is to describe the clinical and demographic characteristics of scleroderma in a series of 26 Dominican patients.


METHODS
Patients who fulfilled the EULAR/ACR criteria for scleroderma were selected from the Rheumatology Department of a tertiary health center; systemic sclerosis subtypes were defined according to the EULAR classification. Clinical and demographic information was obtained retrospectively from clinical records.


RESULTS
Mean age at time of onset was 32.6±15 years; 68% of patients had 40 years of age or less. 73% of patients was feminine, with a female:male ratio of 2.7:1. The most affected systems were pulmonary and gastrointestinal; renal affection was scarce. Anti-Scl-70 antibodies were positive in 64% of patients, sometimes in coexistence with anti-centromere antibodies.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of systemic sclerosis is lower in the Dominican population than the reported elsewhere. The age of onset of the disease seems to be lower in the Dominican population than that reported in literature. A different pattern of autoantibodies is observed in this population.
Servicio de Reumatología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Regional Universitario José María Cabral y Báez, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago, República Dominicana.
Paola
P
Gottschalk
Servicio de Reumatología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Regional Universitario José María Cabral y Báez, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago, República Dominicana.
Ricardo
R
Vásquez
Servicio de Reumatología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Regional Universitario José María Cabral y Báez, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago, República Dominicana.
Persio David
PD
López
Servicio de Reumatología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Regional Universitario José María Cabral y Báez, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago, República Dominicana.
Jossiell
J
Then
Servicio de Reumatología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Regional Universitario José María Cabral y Báez, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago, República Dominicana.
Carmen
C
Tineo
Servicio de Reumatología e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Regional Universitario José María Cabral y Báez, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santiago, República Dominicana. Electronic address: esthela.loyo@gmail.com.
Esthela
E
Loyo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D017691:Caribbean Region; D004293:Dominican Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
Caribbean; Caribe; Dominican Republic; Epidemiology; Epidemiología; Esclerodermia; República Dominicana; Scleroderma