Dataset Information

A preliminary study of skin ultrasound in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: Does skin echogenicity matter?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To evaluate the usefulness of skin ultrasound and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) quantification in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc).

Patients and methods

28 patients with dcSSc, and 15 age gender matched normal controls were recruited. Skin echogenicity, thickness, and ARFI quantification were measured by ultrasound at 17 sites corresponding to the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) in each participant. Compared with controls, skin echogenicity of dcSSc patients was classified into isoechoic, hypoechoic, and hyperechoic. The skin thickness, ARFI quantification and mRSS were compared between isoechoic, hypoechoic, hyperechoic and controls.

Results

In patients with dcSSc, the skin thickness increased as the echogenicity changed on the order of isoechoic, hypoechoic and hyperechoic. ARFI quantification was significantly higher in hyperechoic than isoechoic (p<0.001). The mRSS were significantly higher in hyperechoic and/or hypoechoic than isoechoic. For isoechoic patients and healthy controls, the skin echogenicity or thickness was no significant different, however, the ARFI quantification was significantly higher in isoechoic than controls.

Conclusion

Skin ultrasound is feasible for assessing the skin involvement in dcSSc. Skin echogenicity correlates with skin thickness, stiffness, and mRSS. ARFI quantification may be more sensitive to detect skin changes, compared with skin echogenicity and thickness.

SUBMITTER: Liu H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5365121 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A preliminary study of skin ultrasound in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: Does skin echogenicity matter?

Liu He H Hou Yong Y Zhu Qing-Li QL Xu Dong D Wang Liang L Li Jian-Chu JC Jiang Yu-Xin YX Wang Qian Q Li Meng-Tao MT Zhang Feng-Chun FC Zeng Xiao-Feng XF

PloS one 20170324 3

<h4>Objective</h4>To evaluate the usefulness of skin ultrasound and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) quantification in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc).<h4>Patients and methods</h4>28 patients with dcSSc, and 15 age gender matched normal controls were recruited. Skin echogenicity, thickness, and ARFI quantification were measured by ultrasound at 17 sites corresponding to the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) in each participant. Compared with controls, skin echogenicity of dcS ...[more]

PMID: 28339492

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Project description:BackgroundAbnormalities in lymphocyte surface markers and functions have been described in systemic sclerosis (SSc), but conflicting results abound, and these studies often examined patients with heterogeneous disease duration, severity, clinical phenotype, and concurrent immunosuppressive agents. We studied a clinically homogeneous group of early diffuse cutaneous SSc patients not exposed to immunosuppressive drugs who were enrolled in a clinical trial and compared their immune parameters to healthy control subjects.MethodsLymphocyte subsets were enumerated by multi-parameter flow cytometry of peripheral blood mononuclear cells at baseline visit. Production of the cytokines IL-4 and IL-17 was measured by intracellular flow cytometry following T cell activation.ResultsSSc patients had increased percentages of CD4+ T cells but lower percentages of CD8+ T cells versus controls. The CD28-negative population was expanded in SSc, in the CD4 subset. Striking expansion of CD319+ T cells was noted among the CD4+ cells, in which they were barely detectable in healthy subjects. Frequencies of IL-4 producing cells did not differ between SSc and controls, but expansion of IL-17 producing cells was observed in SSc. A higher proportion of CD319+ cells produced cytokines, compared to other CD4+ cells. Numbers of activated T cells, regulatory T cells, and B cells were similar in SSc and control groups. Circulating follicular helper but not peripheral helper T cells were slightly expanded in SSc.ConclusionIn this carefully selected group of early diffuse cutaneous SSc patients, analysis of immune cell parameters has identified abnormalities that likely reflect disease pathogenesis and that are candidate biomarkers for sub-classification and targeted treatment. The CD4+CD319+ (SLAM-F7+) cells are cytotoxic and oligoclonal, were recently shown to be a dominant T cell population in perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates in SSc skin, actively secrete cytokines, and are emerging as a target for novel treatments of SSc.

Dataset Information

A preliminary study of skin ultrasound in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: Does skin echogenicity matter?

Objective

Patients and methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

A preliminary study of skin ultrasound in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: Does skin echogenicity matter?

Similar Datasets

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