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Table 1 Clinical variables

From: Molecular characterization of systemic sclerosis esophageal pathology identifies inflammatory and proliferative signatures

Mean (SD) or as indicated Inflammatory group N = 6 Proliferative/noninflammatory group N = 9 p value*
Clinical variables
Age 58.7 (8.3) 48.3 (7.7) 0.03
Sex, n (% women) 5 (83 %) 9 (100 %) 0.40
Ethnicity, n (% Caucasian) 5 (83 %) 5 (56 %) 0.58
BMI 22.4 (2.6) 24.5 (5.00) 0.30
Smoking, n (% past) 4 (67 %) 2 (22 %) 0.14
SSc subtype, n (% diffuse) 3 (50 %) 6 (67 %) 0.62
mRSS 12.7 (12.6) 16.6 (14.2) 0.59
GER symptoms, n (% present) 5 (83 %) 5 (56 %) 0.58
Dysphagia, n (% present) 3 (50 %) 3 (33 %) 0.62
Patulous esophagus HRCT, n (% present) 5 (83 %) 7 (78 %) 1.00
SSc disease duration (mo.) 153.7 (132.5) 83.7 (89.5) 0.29
GI symptom duration (mo.) 61.8 (62.2) 84.4 (87.0) 0.57
SSc autoantibodies, n (% positive) N = 5   
 • Scl-70 3 (50 %) 3 (33 %) 0.26
 • ACA 1 (17 %) 0  
 • RNA pol III 1 (17 %) 4 (44 %)  
 • Negative 0 2 (22 %)  
 • Missing 1 (17 %) 0  
Primary ANA pattern, n (% present)    
 • Centromere 1 (17 %) 0 0.08
 • Nucleolar 1 (17 %) 0  
 • Speckled 1 (17 %) 7 (78 %)  
 • Homogenous 3 (50 %) 2 (22 %)  
+ Mycophenolate, n (% current) 1 (17 %) 5 (56 %) 0.29
+Proton pump inhibition, N (% current) 6 (100 %) 9 (100 %) N/A
FVC % predicted 70.2 (23.9) 88.9 (14.8) 0.13
TLC % predicted 81.8 (20.2) 100.6 (18.0) 0.13
DLCO % predicted 46.5 (17.5) 67.1 (20.3) 0.06
ILD present on HRCT, n (%) 5 (83 %) 7 (78 %) 1.00
Endoscopy, n (% present)
Esophagitis 4 (67 %) 5 (56 %) 1.00
Hiatal hernia 5 (83 %) 7 (78 %) 1.00
Pathology
Squamous epithelial lymphocytes 10.0 (8.7) 5.6 (5.9) 0.36
Basal cell hyperplasia, n (%) N = 5 N = 7  
 • 0 1 (17 %) 3 (33 %) 0.75
 • 1 3 (50 %) 5 (56 %)  
 • 2 1 (17 %) 0  
Degree of collagen deposition in lower esophageal biopsies, n (%) N = 4 N = 4  
 • 0 2 (33 %) 4 (44 %) 0.38
 • 1 1 (17 %) 0  
 • 2 1 (17 %) 0  
Candida esophagitis, n (%) 2 (33 %) 0 0.14
  1. Only patients with SSc were included in these analyses. Subject SSc12 was excluded because the upper esophageal biopsy was influenced by technical artifact that precluded intrinsic subset assignment
  2. BMI body mass index, SSc systemic sclerosis, mRSS modified Rodnan skin score, GER gastroesophageal reflux, HRCT high-resolution computed tomography, GI gastrointestinal, Scl-70 anti-topoisomerase I, ACA anticentromere, RNA pol III anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies, ANA antinuclear antibodies, N/A not applicable, FVC forced vital capacity, TLC total lung capacity, DLCO diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide percent predicted, ILD interstitial lung disease
  3. * t test for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables comparing inflammatory to proliferative/noninflammatory groups
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Arthritis Research & Therapy

ISSN: 1478-6362

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