Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Published on: June 16, 2020

Can Patient-Reported Symptoms Be Used to Measure Disease Activity in Systemic Sclerosis?

Laura Ross¹, Wendy Stevens², Michelle Wilson²

¹St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne and the University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia.

Arthritis Care & Research

|August 18, 2019

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the association between patient-reported symptoms and changes in disease activity over time in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods:

Using data from 1,636 patients enrolled in the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study, we used generalized estimating equations to determine the relationship between patient-reported worsening of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), skin involvement, and breathlessness in the month preceding each study visit and features of disease activity in the corresponding organ systems. The associations between the following parameters were analyzed: patient-reported worsening RP and the presence of new-onset digital pitting and digital ulcers; patient-reported worsening skin involvement and increasing modified Rodnan skin thickness score (MRSS); new areas of skin involvement and new-onset joint contractures; patient-reported worsening breathlessness and deteriorating respiratory functions test (RFT) results, indicated by a 10% decrease in forced vital capacity (FVC) and a 15% decrease in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco), new-onset interstitial lung disease (ILD), and new-onset pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Results:

We found a significant association between patient-reported worsening RP and the presence of digital ulcers (odds ratio [OR] 1.53 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.60-0.93]), patient-reported worsening skin involvement and increasing MRSS (OR 2.10 [95% CI 1.54-2.86]), and worsening patient breathlessness and deteriorating RFTs (FVC OR 2.12 [95% CI 1.70-2.65]; DLco OR 1.97 [95% CI 1.34-2.02]), new-onset ILD (OR 1.91 [95% CI 1.40-2.61]), and new-onset PAH (OR 5.08 [95% CI 3.59-7.19]).

Conclusion:

These results demonstrate that patient-reported symptoms are associated with clinically meaningful changes in disease activity in patients with SSc. This suggests that when objective measures of change in disease status are unavailable, patient-reported symptoms could be used to indicate a change in SSc disease activity.

More Related Videos

Measurement of Specific Mycobacterial Mistranslation Rates with Gain-of-function Reporter Systems

Measurement of Specific Mycobacterial Mistranslation Rates with Gain-of-function Reporter Systems

Published on: April 26, 2019

Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity

Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity

Published on: March 7, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.

Understanding the variety of primary symptoms and systemic complications that characterize chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is crucial for healthcare professionals.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:

Data Reporting and Recording

Data Reporting and Recording

Reporting and recording are crucial in data documentation. The timely, thorough, and accurate documentation of facts is essential when recording patient data. Failure to record findings during an assessment or interpretation of a problem will result in loss of information and make the patient document unreliable. The reader is left with general impressions if the information is not specific. A recording is documenting data of the individual's health information in a traceable, secure, and...

Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

For most patients, experiencing several weeks of polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and significant weight loss may indicate the presence of diabetes. Furthermore, adults displaying the phenotypic appearance of type 2 diabetes (particularly those who are obese and not initially insulin-requiring), may have islet cell autoantibodies, suggesting autoimmune-mediated β cell destruction and a diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). The categorization of glucose homeostasis is...

Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...

Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications

Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications

Asthma, a common chronic respiratory condition, is classified considering the frequency and severity of symptoms alongside lung function impairment. Understanding this classification is essential for appropriate treatment and management. Here's a detailed look at the classification of asthma and its clinical features and complications:
Classification of Asthma

Pleural Effusion II: Symptoms and Management

Pleural Effusion II: Symptoms and Management

Pleural Effusion Overview
A pleural effusion is the abnormal collection of fluid between the parietal and visceral pleura layers of tissue that form the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. It can occur independently or due to surrounding parenchymal diseases, such as infection, malignancy, or inflammatory conditions.
Clinical Manifestations:

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Clinical Characteristics and Concordance of Anti-MDA5 Antibodies: A Multicenter Australian Study.

Arthritis care & research·2026

Facial Cosmetic Therapy Use Among Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: An Australian Cohort Study.

Arthritis care & research·2026

High levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 associate with a 'vasculopathic' phenotype in systemic sclerosis with higher mortality.

Rheumatology (Oxford, England)·2026

Predictive Accuracy of Serum N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Alone and in Combination with Respiratory Function Tests to Identify Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (SSc-PAH).

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Telangiectasia in Systemic Sclerosis Is a Marker of Increased Disease Morbidity and Mortality: Analyses From the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study.

The Australasian journal of dermatology·2026

A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial of Oral Anticoagulation in Systemic Sclerosis-Related Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension-Results From the SPHInX Study.

Pulmonary circulation·2026

See all related articles