2023
Clinical Phenotypes of Patients With Systemic Sclerosis With Distinct Molecular Signatures in Skin
Yang M, Goh V, Lee J, Espinoza M, Yuan Y, Carns M, Aren K, Chung L, Khanna D, McMahan ZH, Agrawal R, Nelson L, Shah SJ, Whitfield ML, Hinchcliff M. Clinical Phenotypes of Patients With Systemic Sclerosis With Distinct Molecular Signatures in Skin. Arthritis Care & Research 2023, 75: 1469-1480. PMID: 35997480, PMCID: PMC9947190, DOI: 10.1002/acr.24998.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRadiographic interstitial lung diseaseInterstitial lung diseaseHigher mRSSSSc patientsSerum autoantibodiesClinical phenotypeHealthy participantsScl-70 antibodyPresent multicenter studySimilar disease durationSystemic sclerosis patientsDistinct clinical phenotypesSkin gene expressionValuable clinical informationDcSSc patientsDisease durationIdentifies patientsSystemic sclerosisSclerosis patientsMulticenter studyLung diseaseSkin fibrosisSimilar prevalenceClinical dataMultivariable modeling
2020
Regulator combinations identify systemic sclerosis patients with more severe disease
Wang Y, Franks JM, Yang M, Toledo DM, Wood TA, Hinchcliff M, Whitfield ML. Regulator combinations identify systemic sclerosis patients with more severe disease. JCI Insight 2020, 5: e137567. PMID: 32721949, PMCID: PMC7526449, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.137567.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInterstitial lung diseaseSystemic sclerosisActivity scoreSevere diseaseSevere interstitial lung diseaseSubsets of SScVital capacity declineRodnan skin scoreSubgroup of patientsSystemic sclerosis patientsHeterogeneous autoimmune disorderInternal organ dysfunctionGene expression subsetsSkin gene expressionActivation of regulatorsIntrinsic subsetOrgan dysfunctionSclerosis patientsSkin scoreAutoantibody productionClinical outcomesAutoimmune disordersClinical variablesLung diseaseSkin fibrosisCurrent and Potential New Targets in Systemic Sclerosis Therapy: a New Hope
Hinchcliff M, O’Reilly S. Current and Potential New Targets in Systemic Sclerosis Therapy: a New Hope. Current Rheumatology Reports 2020, 22: 42. PMID: 32562016, PMCID: PMC7305248, DOI: 10.1007/s11926-020-00918-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSkin fibrosisNew targetsSSc interstitial lung diseaseAutoimmune connective tissue diseaseSystemic sclerosis therapyConnective tissue diseaseInterstitial lung diseaseCurrent ongoing trialsNew therapeutic targetsActivation of fibroblastsPotential new targetsReviewSystemic sclerosisSclerosis therapyOngoing trialsTissue diseaseLung diseaseClinical trialsTherapeutic targetRate of declineDisease pathogenesisPhase IIIPhase IIFibrosisNew hopeDiseaseProfibrotic Activation of Human Macrophages in Systemic Sclerosis
Bhandari R, Ball MS, Martyanov V, Popovich D, Schaafsma E, Han S, ElTanbouly M, Orzechowski NM, Carns M, Arroyo E, Aren K, Hinchcliff M, Whitfield ML, Pioli PA. Profibrotic Activation of Human Macrophages in Systemic Sclerosis. Arthritis & Rheumatology 2020, 72: 1160-1169. PMID: 32134204, PMCID: PMC7329566, DOI: 10.1002/art.41243.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultAntigens, CDAntigens, Differentiation, MyelomonocyticCell DifferentiationChemokine CCL2Coculture TechniquesFemaleFibroblastsFibrosisHLA-DR AntigensHumansImmunophenotypingInterleukin-6Lectins, C-TypeLeukocytes, MononuclearMacrophage ActivationMacrophagesMaleMannose ReceptorMannose-Binding LectinsMiddle AgedMonocytesPhosphorylationReceptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type IReceptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type IIReceptors, Cell SurfaceRNA, MessengerScleroderma, SystemicSkinSTAT3 Transcription FactorTranscriptomeTransforming Growth Factor betaConceptsPeripheral blood mononuclear cellsSystemic sclerosisSSc patientsBasal conditionsSex-matched healthy controlsSSc fibroblastsSurface markersHealthy donor monocytesBlood mononuclear cellsMediator of fibrosisInflammatory macrophage activationMonocyte-derived macrophagesActivation profilesGrowth factor βFibrotic activationGene expression signaturesDonor monocytesMononuclear cellsProfibrotic activationSkin fibrosisInterleukin-6Healthy controlsSSc skinIndependent cohortMacrophage activation
2018
Diffuse cardiac fibrosis quantification in early systemic sclerosis by magnetic resonance imaging and correlation with skin fibrosis
Lee DC, Hinchcliff ME, Sarnari R, Stark MM, Lee J, Koloms K, Hoffmann A, Carns M, Thakrar A, Aren K, Varga J, Aquino A, Carr JC, Benefield BC, Shah SJ. Diffuse cardiac fibrosis quantification in early systemic sclerosis by magnetic resonance imaging and correlation with skin fibrosis. Journal Of Scleroderma And Related Disorders 2018, 3: 159-169. PMID: 29808171, PMCID: PMC5969530, DOI: 10.1177/2397198318762888.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEarly systemic sclerosisT1 mapping parametersSystemic sclerosisSSc patientsDiffuse myocardial fibrosisT1 mapping indicesSkin scoreMyocardial fibrosisSkin fibrosisCardiac structure/functionRodnan skin scoreCardiac magnetic resonance T1 mappingT1 mappingMagnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance T1 mappingCardiac involvementCardiovascular evaluationConsecutive patientsClinical studiesPatientsResonance imagingFibrosisFibrosis quantificationCine imagingSclerosis
2017
A novel multi-network approach reveals tissue-specific cellular modulators of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis
Taroni JN, Greene CS, Martyanov V, Wood TA, Christmann RB, Farber HW, Lafyatis RA, Denton CP, Hinchcliff ME, Pioli PA, Mahoney JM, Whitfield ML. A novel multi-network approach reveals tissue-specific cellular modulators of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis. Genome Medicine 2017, 9: 27. PMID: 28330499, PMCID: PMC5363043, DOI: 10.1186/s13073-017-0417-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDisease-associated signaturesFunctional genomic networksGene expression signaturesPulmonary fibrosisAutoimmune diseasesDisease processMulti-organ autoimmune diseaseDistinct underlying pathologyPro-fibrotic macrophagesInternal organ involvementPulmonary arterial hypertensionExpression signaturesSkin of patientsInnate immune systemWilcoxon rank sum testGenomic networksRank sum testBackgroundSystemic sclerosisArterial hypertensionOrgan involvementSystemic sclerosisUnderlying pathologyLung microenvironmentSkin fibrosisFibrotic genes
2012
Levels of adiponectin, a marker for PPAR-gamma activity, correlate with skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis: potential utility as biomarker?
Lakota K, Wei J, Carns M, Hinchcliff M, Lee J, Whitfield ML, Sodin-Semrl S, Varga J. Levels of adiponectin, a marker for PPAR-gamma activity, correlate with skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis: potential utility as biomarker? Arthritis Research & Therapy 2012, 14: r102. PMID: 22548780, PMCID: PMC3446479, DOI: 10.1186/ar3827.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLevels of adiponectinPPAR-gamma activitySerum adiponectin levelsSystemic sclerosisAdiponectin levelsSkin fibrosisSSc patientsSkin scoreDiffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosisPeroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gammaCutaneous systemic sclerosisRodnan skin scoreProliferator-activated receptor gammaHuman subcutaneous preadipocytesProgression of fibrosisAdiponectin mRNA expressionAdiponectin gene expressionTransforming growth factor betaSignificant inverse correlationLongitudinal study changesGrowth factor betaProgressive fibrosisReal-time quantitative PCRAdiponectin expressionHealthy controls
2011
Canonical Wnt signaling induces skin fibrosis and subcutaneous lipoatrophy: A novel mouse model for scleroderma?
Wei J, Melichian D, Komura K, Hinchcliff M, Lam AP, Lafyatis R, Gottardi CJ, MacDougald OA, Varga J. Canonical Wnt signaling induces skin fibrosis and subcutaneous lipoatrophy: A novel mouse model for scleroderma? Arthritis & Rheumatism 2011, 63: 1707-1717. PMID: 21370225, PMCID: PMC3124699, DOI: 10.1002/art.30312.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSystemic sclerosisSubcutaneous adipose tissueTransgenic miceWnt-10bBiopsy specimensDermal fibrosisMouse modelAdipose tissueLesional skin biopsy specimensSkin biopsy specimensNovel mouse modelMesenchymal cellsSmooth muscle actin gene expressionSkin fibroblastsNovel animal modelFibrotic gene expressionWnt/β-catenin signalingSetting of fibrosisGrowth factor βΒ-catenin signalingPulmonary fibrosisSubcutaneous lipoatrophySkin fibrosisGene expressionMyofibroblast accumulation