Scleroderma Interstitial Ling Disease Stratification and Predictors of Response

Dear Colleagues,

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous disease with unknown etiology and limited effective treatment. It is characterized by autoimmunity, vasculopathy and fibrosis, and clinical manifestations show multiple organ involvement. Scleroderma occurs in the lungs and causes interstitial lung disease, known as systemic scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common complication of this disease and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis of ILD relies on careful clinical evaluation, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Many proinflammatory and profibrotic mediators are involved in the pathogenesis of SSc-ILD, among which transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) plays a key role in the development of fibrosis. Despite recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of disease onset and progression, effective treatment options remain limited. Many experimental therapies are currently in early clinical trials and show promise.

Therefore, this Special Issue will focus on the main important features of ILD, emphasizing the dominant role of HRCT in disease representation and surveillance and the diagnostic power of multidisciplinary discussion in ILD diagnosis. Given the clinical and radiological objectives of this Special Issue, studies that focus on the role of complementary tests (e.g., quantitative lung analysis by CT examination), serological parameters, and clinical features that may be useful in the prognostic and diagnostic assessment of potential interstitial lung disease are welcome.

Dr. Gianluca Bagnato
Guest Editor

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• lung fibrosis
• interstitial lung disease
• rheumatoid arthritis
• connective tissue diseases
• vasculitis