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Disease evolution in a long-term follow-up of 104 undifferentiated connective tissue disease patients

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

 

  1. Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases - Coordinating Center of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Network for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, and SCDU Nephrology and Dialysis, S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital and University of Turin, Italy. massimo.radin@unito.it
  2. Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases - Coordinating Center of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Network for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, and SCDU Nephrology and Dialysis, S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital and University of Turin, Italy.
  3. Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases - Coordinating Center of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Network for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, and SCDU Nephrology and Dialysis, S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital and University of Turin, Italy.
  4. Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases - Coordinating Center of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Network for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, and SCDU Nephrology and Dialysis, S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital and University of Turin, Italy.
  5. Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases - Coordinating Center of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Network for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, and SCDU Nephrology and Dialysis, S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital and University of Turin, Italy.
  6. Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases - Coordinating Center of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Network for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, and SCDU Nephrology and Dialysis, S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital and University of Turin, Italy.
  7. Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases - Coordinating Center of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Network for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, and SCDU Nephrology and Dialysis, S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital and University of Turin, Italy.
  8. Center of Research of Immunopathology and Rare Diseases - Coordinating Center of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Network for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, and SCDU Nephrology and Dialysis, S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital and University of Turin, Italy.

CER14363
2022 Vol.40, N°3
PI 0575, PF 0580
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PMID: 34251309 [PubMed]

Received: 24/12/2020
Accepted : 15/03/2021
In Press: 26/06/2021
Published: 22/03/2022

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the rate of disease evolution in a cohort of patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and to determine clinical and immunological features more frequently associated with disease progression.
METHODS:
This retrospective single-centre long-term follow-up cohort study included patients with UCTD diagnosis, ANA positive, with a follow-up of at least 2 years.
RESULTS:
A total of 100 UCTD patients were recruited. During the follow-up (6.2±2.1 years), 44 patients (44%) developed novel clinical and/or laboratory features (rate of development patient/year of 7%), and 21 patients (21%) evolved into a definite connective tissue disease (CTD) after a mean time of 7±5.5 years with a rate of disease evolution (patient/year) of 3%. New clinical manifestations (39 patients) included: joints (36%), haematological (30%), cutaneous (13%), pulmonary (10%) and renal (10%) involvement. New laboratory findings (17 patients (17%)) included: 2 anti-ENA positivity, 3 anti-dsDNA antibodies positivity and 6 low complement levels. At follow-up, 13 patients (61.9%) met the classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus, 1 patient (4.8%) for mixed CTD, 5 patients (23.8%) for systemic sclerosis and 2 patients (9.5%) for Sjögren’s syndrome. Patients evolving towards a new diagnosis had longer disease duration (15.2±9.7 years vs. 10±5.8 years; respectively, p<0.005), had a higher prevalence of anti-Ro/SSA antibodies (63.2% vs. 28.4%; respectively, p<0.05) and anti-RNP antibodies (21.1% vs. 7.4%; respectively, p<0.05). The statistical difference was also confirmed after the multivariate analysis.
CONCLUSIONS:
Up to 45% of UCTD patients might develop novel clinical and/or laboratory features during the follow-up, leading to evolution into a definite CTD in 1 out 5 cases.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55563/clinexprheumatol/7vp1bo

Rheumatology Article