Increased frequency of circulating Th22 in addition to Th17 and Th2 lymphocytes in systemic sclerosis: association with interstitial lung disease

Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the study populations

Clinical and biological features	SSc (n: 33)	HD (n: 29)	P
Women, n (%)	29 (87.9)	23 (79.3)	ns
Age, median (range)	52 (30 to 80)	50 (18 to 68)	ns
Ethnicity: Caucasian (%)	30 (90)	29 (100)	ns
Diffuse cutaneous SSc, n (%)	20 (60.6)	N/A
Age onset, mean (+/- SD)	44 (14)	N/A
Disease duration, median (range)	7 (1 to 32)	N/A
ANA positivity (%)	29 (87.9)	N/A
ACA positivity (%)	4 (12.1)	N/A
Anti-Scl70 positivity (%)	11 (33.3)	N/A
Digital ulcers	19 (57.6)	N/A
Calcinosis	9 (27.3)	N/A
Arthritis	7 (21.2)	N/A
PAH, n (%)	4 (12.1)	N/A
ILD, n (%)	14 (42.4)	N/A
Current immunosuppressive therapy (%)	0	N/A

ANA, anti-nuclear antibodies; ACA, anti-centromere antibodies; ILD, interstitial lung disease; PAH, pulmonary artery hypertension; N/A: not applicable. P as determined by the Fisher's exact test. ILD was observed on HRCT and confirmed by a TLC < 80% of the predicted value. Pre-capillary PAH was defined as a mean resting pulmonary artery pressure > 25 mmHg in presence of a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure £15 mmHg by a right heart catheterization.

ISSN: 1478-6362