Scleroderma in the Caribbean: characteristics in a Dominican case series

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.

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.

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.

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.