Autoimmune conditions associated with patients with systemic sclerosis

Abstract

Background. Systemic sclerosis is a diffuse connective tissue disorder with immunemediated pathogenesis, marked by skin fibrosis, multisystem involvement, associated with obliterative microangiopathy. Coexisting autoimmune diseases may significantly influence disease course and therapeutic decisions. Objective(s). Analysis of frequency and types of autoimmune diseases associated with systemic sclerosis patients to understand their impact on disease progression and the need for multidisciplinary management. Materials and methods. The study included 212 patients with systemic sclerosis hospitalized at the Republican Clinical Hospital between 2020 and 2025. The cohort consisted of 201 women and 11 men, with a mean age of 52. Diffuse form was seen in 54 cases (25.5%), and limited form in 158 (74.5%). Data were retrospectively collected and descriptively analyzed. Results. Out of the total 212 patients studied, 37 (17.45%) were identified with associated autoimmune conditions, including: autoimmune thyroiditis – 13 cases (6.13%), primary biliary cholangitis – 2 cases (0.94%), antiphospholipid syndrome – 1 case (0.47%), Sjögren’s syndrome – 7 cases (3.3%), and overlap syndromes – 14 cases (6.6%), including 7 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 6 with rheumatoid arthritis, and 1 with polymyositis. Most affected patients were female. No statistically significant difference was found in the frequency of associated autoimmune conditions between the limited and diffuse subtypes of the disease. Conclusion(s). The presence of autoimmune disorders in 17.45% of systemic sclerosis patients confirms the increased frequency of overlapping autoimmune conditions. Periodic immunologic evaluation and multidisciplinary collaboration are essential for early diagnosis and personalized treatment.