title: Risk factors for severity and manifestations in systemic sclerosis and prediction of disease course.
abstract: Systemic sclerosis (SSc, or scleroderma) is a rheumatic disease with distinct features that encompass autoimmunity, vascular lesions (vasculopathy) and tissue fibrosis. The disease has a high morbidity and mortality compared with other rheumatic diseases. This review discusses risk factors and markers that predict the disease course and the occurrence of disease manifestations, with an emphasis on major organ involvement. In addition, risk factors will be described that are associated with mortality in SSc patients. The review addresses the impact of recent developments on screening, diagnosis and risk stratification as well as the need for further research where data are lacking.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology , University Hospital Charité Berlin , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Mike O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: b Department of Rheumatology , University Hospital Lübeck , Lübeck , Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riemekasten
mesh_terms: D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Systemic sclerosis; fibrosis; mortality; organ involvement; predictive factors; pulmonary hypertension; scleroderma; skin thickening