Table 3 Clinical and histological characteristics according to immunosuppressive/immunomodulatory treatment and clinical outcome in the 28 patients with SSc

Age (years), mean (SD)

39.3 (13.9)

48.6 (16.2)

ns

Female/male, number

10/2

14/2

ns

Disease duration (months), mean (SD)

42.8 (100.3)

45.8 (41.5)

ns

Early/longstanding disease, number

10/2

9/7

ns

dSSc/lSSc number

11/1

9/7

0.05

Skin score baseline, mean (SD)

21.1 (10.9)

11.9 (10.6)

0.03

Anti-scl-70 antibodies positivity, number (%)

10

11

ns

ACA positivity, number

0

3

ANA positivity, number

2

2

Presence of CD20⁺ cell in skin biopsy, number (%)^a

8 (66.7)

9 (56.3)

ns

CD20⁺ in clinically involved skin, mean (SD)

2.3 (3.1)

3.4 (6.3)

ns

CD20⁺ in clinically uninvolved skin, mean (SD)

1.5 (3.3)

0.9 (1.6)

ns

CD138⁺ in clinically involved skin, mean (SD)

3.5 (1.5)

3.8 (2.9)

ns

CD138⁺ in clinically uninvolved skin, mean (SD)

1.7 (1.8)

2.2 (2.1)

ns

CD3⁺ in clinically involved skin, mean (SD)

62.0 (28.9)

78.9 (37.4)

ns

CD3⁺ in clinically uninvolved skin, mean (SD)

43.7 (40.2)

47.2 (33.9)

ns

CD68⁺ in clinically involved skin, mean (SD)

25.3 (9.1)

38.0 (7.4)

ns

CD68⁺ in clinically uninvolved skin, mean (SD)

14.4 (5.7)

12.3 (6.9)

ns

Skin score after 6-month follow up, mean (SD)

11.3 (6.9)

13.0 (10.9)

ns

Patients with decrease >20% of skin score after 6-month follow up^b

11 (91.7)

3 (18.7)

0.01

Patients with worsening >20% of skin score after 6-month follow up

0 (0.0)

7 (56.3)

0.01

Patients with CD20 + cells on skin biopsy

0 (0.0)

7 (77.8)

Patients without CD20+ cells on skin biopsy

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)