Survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single Italian center

Objective: To investigate survival in Italian systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients from a tertiary center, reporting death causes. Materials and methods: We analyzed the charts of 251 SSc patients prospectively enrolled in our Rheumatology Unit from 2000 to 2008. Baseline characteristics were recorded....

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: M. Iudici, G. Abignano, G. Cuomo, S. Vettori, G. Valentini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PAGEPress Publications 2011-06-01
Series:Reumatismo
Online Access:http://www.reumatismo.org/index.php/reuma/article/view/482
_version_ 1818248773050040320
author M. Iudici
G. Abignano
G. Cuomo
S. Vettori
G. Valentini
author_facet M. Iudici
G. Abignano
G. Cuomo
S. Vettori
G. Valentini
author_sort M. Iudici
collection DOAJ
description Objective: To investigate survival in Italian systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients from a tertiary center, reporting death causes. Materials and methods: We analyzed the charts of 251 SSc patients prospectively enrolled in our Rheumatology Unit from 2000 to 2008. Baseline characteristics were recorded. In 2008 the vital status and the causes of death were assessed. Overall and subgroup survival were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Results: In 2008, 82% of patients were alive, 8% were known to have died and 10% were lost to follow-up. Overall 5- and 8-year survival were 94.8% and 77.1%, respectively. Patients with an age greater than the median value of the cohort (χ2=4.4; p=0.036), diffuse cutaneous SSc (χ2=3.9; p=0.048), digital ulcers (χ2=6; p=0.015), articular (χ2=5.3; p=0.021), lung (χ2=5.6; p=0.018) and heart involvement (χ2=9.3; p=0.002) had a poorer survival than patients without these features. The majority of SSc-related deaths (60%) were secondary to interstitial lung disease and heart involvement (both 33.3%); 50% of non-SSc-related deaths were due to cancer. Conclusions: Our study reports an improvement in survival of Italian SSc patients during the last decade with respect to the previous ones. Moreover, a reduction in deaths from renal involvement and an increase in deaths from interstitial lung disease were recorded in Italian SSc patients. Our data are consistent with those from recent survival studies carried out on SSc patients from other geographic areas.
first_indexed 2024-12-12T15:25:55Z
format Article
id doaj.art-9aee4ee89a2042189f8d0f1963ec819a
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0048-7449
2240-2683
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-12T15:25:55Z
publishDate 2011-06-01
publisher PAGEPress Publications
record_format Article
series Reumatismo
spelling doaj.art-9aee4ee89a2042189f8d0f1963ec819a2022-12-22T00:20:15ZengPAGEPress PublicationsReumatismo0048-74492240-26832011-06-0162320220910.4081/reumatismo.2010.202Survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single Italian centerM. IudiciG. AbignanoG. CuomoS. VettoriG. ValentiniObjective: To investigate survival in Italian systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients from a tertiary center, reporting death causes. Materials and methods: We analyzed the charts of 251 SSc patients prospectively enrolled in our Rheumatology Unit from 2000 to 2008. Baseline characteristics were recorded. In 2008 the vital status and the causes of death were assessed. Overall and subgroup survival were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Results: In 2008, 82% of patients were alive, 8% were known to have died and 10% were lost to follow-up. Overall 5- and 8-year survival were 94.8% and 77.1%, respectively. Patients with an age greater than the median value of the cohort (χ2=4.4; p=0.036), diffuse cutaneous SSc (χ2=3.9; p=0.048), digital ulcers (χ2=6; p=0.015), articular (χ2=5.3; p=0.021), lung (χ2=5.6; p=0.018) and heart involvement (χ2=9.3; p=0.002) had a poorer survival than patients without these features. The majority of SSc-related deaths (60%) were secondary to interstitial lung disease and heart involvement (both 33.3%); 50% of non-SSc-related deaths were due to cancer. Conclusions: Our study reports an improvement in survival of Italian SSc patients during the last decade with respect to the previous ones. Moreover, a reduction in deaths from renal involvement and an increase in deaths from interstitial lung disease were recorded in Italian SSc patients. Our data are consistent with those from recent survival studies carried out on SSc patients from other geographic areas.http://www.reumatismo.org/index.php/reuma/article/view/482
spellingShingle M. Iudici
G. Abignano
G. Cuomo
S. Vettori
G. Valentini
Survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single Italian center
Reumatismo
title Survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single Italian center
title_full Survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single Italian center
title_fullStr Survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single Italian center
title_full_unstemmed Survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single Italian center
title_short Survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single Italian center
title_sort survival and death causes in 251 systemic sclerosis patients from a single italian center
url http://www.reumatismo.org/index.php/reuma/article/view/482
work_keys_str_mv AT miudici survivalanddeathcausesin251systemicsclerosispatientsfromasingleitaliancenter
AT gabignano survivalanddeathcausesin251systemicsclerosispatientsfromasingleitaliancenter
AT gcuomo survivalanddeathcausesin251systemicsclerosispatientsfromasingleitaliancenter
AT svettori survivalanddeathcausesin251systemicsclerosispatientsfromasingleitaliancenter
AT gvalentini survivalanddeathcausesin251systemicsclerosispatientsfromasingleitaliancenter