title: Systemic sclerosis in Argentina: evaluation of a large cohort from a single centre and comparison with other international series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prevalence of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and different clinical subsets varies across the world. Few data have been published on SSc patients in Latin America. Our objective was to describe a SSc cohort in Argentina and to compare clinical findings, disease subsets and antibodies with other international SSc populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with SSc (n=234) seen at the Rheumatology section of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires between 2000-2011 were retrospectively analysed. Data on clinical manifestations, disease subsets and antibodies were obtained. Patients were classified into diffuse cutaneous (dc) and limited cutaneous (lc) subsets. Comparison with other cohorts (France, United States, Germany, Italy, Mexico, EUSTAR and Brazil) was made based on published information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher female:male ratio (12:1) and a higher limited subset prevalence (76.1%) was found in this Argentine cohort comparing with others. We also found a lower prevalence of diffuse disease, anti Scl-70 (antitopoisomerase) and nucleolar pattern antinuclear antibodies. Within each subset, clinical findings were similar with other SSc populations except for a very low prevalence in renal crisis (0.02% of dc SS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With slight variations perhaps due to genetic, environmental or referral factors, SSc in this cohort appears to be similar to that described in other parts of the world.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Section, Medical Services, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Instituto Universitario Escuela de Medicina Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Fundación Dr. Pedro M Catoggio para el Progreso de la Reumatologia, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scolnik
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saucedo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabelli
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bedran
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Catoggio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D045743:Scleroderma, Diffuse / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D045745:Scleroderma, Limited / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C048100:Scl 70 antigen, human; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I