Systemic sclerosis risk increases if a relative has the disease

The risk of systemic sclerosis and a host of other autoimmune conditions increases if a relative has the disease, says new research published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare and devastating disease affecting skin and internal organs – which is not generally considered to run in families.

Questioning this belief, a research group used the National Health Insurance Database in Taiwan and found that of 23,658,577 records, 1,891 people had systemic sclerosis. By looking at data from relatives, they discovered that “the prevalence of systemic sclerosis in relatives of patients with the disease is significantly higher than the general population”.

Having a first-degree relative with systemic sclerosis was also associated with an increased risk for: idiopathic inflammatory myositis; lupus; Sjögren’s syndrome; rheumatoid arthritis; and psoriasis.

“The risks of systemic sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases are increased in relatives of people with systemic sclerosis, and family factors explain over two-thirds of the phenotypic variance of the disease,” they conclude. “These findings may be useful in counselling families of patients with systemic sclerosis and for further genetic studies.”

Click here to read the original research. 

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