RESEARCH PAPER
Potential occupational and environmental factors in SSc onset
 
More details
Hide details
1
Dermatology Department, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland
 
 
Corresponding author
Irena Walecka   

Dermatology Department, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2018;25(4):596-601
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Introduction and objective. Systemic sclerosis [SSc; scleroderma] is a rare, connective tissue disorder affecting all organs and systems. The primary feature of this disease is a chronic, progressive fibrosis due to excessive production of collagen and other components. There are two subsets of systemic sclerosis: 1) diffused SSc (dSSc), 2) limited SSc (lSSc) and 3) scleroderma without sclerosis (SSSC). The presented review is an attempt to summarize recent data regarding environmental and occupational factors in SSc onset.

State of knowledge:
There are many factors to be taken under consideration with SSc onset, although a strong correlation has been established for only a few. The most distinct factors are: crystalline silica and organic solvents (such as white spirit, aromatic, aliphatic-chain, chlorinated solvents, ketones, welding fumes). For other factors, which include abstestos, air pollution, other chemicals, silicone breast implants, tobacco smoking, drug reactions, diet influence and exposure to heavy metals, the jury is still out, and their position in SSc onset needs further studies.

Conclusions:
Conclusions. Although the pathogenesis of scleroderma remains unclear, there is a marked correlation between the onset of SSc and certain environmental or occupational factors.

REFERENCES (43)
1.
Almeida C, Almeida I, Vasconceloset C. Quality of life in systemic sclerosis. Autoimmunity Rev. 2015; 14: 1087–1096.
 
2.
Barsotti S, Stagnaro C, d’Ascanio A, Della Rossa A. One year in review 2016: systemic sclerosis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2016; 34 Suppl 100(5): 3–13.
 
3.
Kowal-Bielecka O. Twardzina układowa – aktualności. Annales Academiae Medicae Stetinesis 2010; 56, suppl. 1: 80–82.
 
4.
Szymańska E, Wieczorek M, Łagun Z, et al. Vascular changes in autoimmunological connective tissue diseases. Acta Angiol Vol. 22, No. 4 pp. 1–4 doi: 10.5603/AA.2016.0001.
 
5.
Kowal-Bielecka O, Kuryliszyn-Moskal A. Twardzina układowa. Reumatologia 2012; 50.2: 124–129.
 
6.
LeRoy EC, Black C, Fleischmajer R. SSc, Diffuse Cutaneous. “Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis): classification, subsets and pathogenesis.” J Rheumatol. 1988; 15: 23.
 
7.
Szymańska E, Maj M, Rudnicka L. Twardzina układowa — przebieg kliniczny i możliwości terapeutyczne. Przegl Lek.2005; 62: 1538–1541.
 
8.
Masi AT. Preliminary criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). Arthritis Rheumatol. 1980; 23.5: 581–590.
 
9.
Anne Claire Desbois AC, Cacoub P. Systemic sclerosis: An update in 2016. Autoimmunity Rev. 2016; 15: 417–426.
 
10.
Bonnecaze, Alex K. Raynaud’s phenomenon in limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis. BMJ case reports 2015 (2015).
 
11.
Tyndall AJ, Bannert B, Vonk M, et al. Causes and risk factors for death in systemic sclerosis: a study from the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010 Oct; 69(10): 1809–15. doi: 10.1136/ard.2009.114264.
 
12.
Kahan A, Coghlan G, McLaughlin V. Cardiac complications of systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2009; 48.Suppl 3: iii45-iii48.
 
13.
Champion HC. The heart in scleroderma. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2008; 34(1): 181–190.
 
14.
Marasini B, Massarotti M, Cossutta R. Scleroderma heart disease. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2005; 18.4: 609–614.
 
15.
Ostojic P, Stojanovski N. Arterial hypertension treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and glucocorticoids are independent risk factors associated with decreased glomerular filtration rate in systemic sclerosis. Rheumatol Int. 2016 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s00296–016–3632-y.
 
16.
Thoua Nora M, et al. Assessment of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis in a UK tertiary referral centre. Rheumatology 2010; 49.9: 1770–1775.
 
17.
Ebert, Ellen C. Esophageal disease in scleroderma. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2006; 40.9: 769–775.
 
18.
Rose, Suzanne, Michele A. Young, and James C. Reynolds. Gastro-intestinal manifestations of scleroderma. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America 1998; 27.3: 563–594.
 
19.
Markusse IM, Meijs J, de Boer B et al. Predicting cardiopulmonary involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis: complementary value of nailfold videocapillaroscopy patterns and disease-specific autoantibodies. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2016 Dec 10. pii: kew402.
 
20.
Lazzaroni MG, Cavazzana I, Colombo E, et al. Malignancies in Patients with Anti-RNA Polymerase III Antibodies and Systemic Sclerosis: Analysis of the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research Cohort and Possible Recommendations for Screening. J Rheumatol. 2017 Jan 15. pii: jrheum.160817. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.160817.
 
21.
McMahan ZH, Wigley FM, Casciola-Rosen L. Increased risk of digital vascular events in scleroderma patients who have both anti-centromere and anti-interferon-inducible protein 16 antibodies. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2016 Jul 7. doi: 10.1002/acr.22978.
 
22.
Walecka I, Malewska A, Roszkiewicz M et al. Raynaud’s phenomenon — the clinical picture, treatment and diagnostics. Acta Angiol. 2016; 22(4): 1–4 doi: 10.5603/AA.2016.0001.
 
23.
Wollheim FA. Classification of systemic sclerosis: visions and reality. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2005; 44: 1212–6.
 
24.
Chairta P, Nicolaou P, Christodoulou K. Genomic and genetic studies of systemic sclerosis: A systematic review. Hum Immunol. 2017 Feb; 78(2): 153–165. doi: 10.1016/j.humimm.2016.10.017.
 
25.
Chen JQ, Papp G, Szodoray P, et al. The role of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Autoimmun Rev. 2016 Dec; 15(12): 1171–1180. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2016.09.003.
 
26.
Carmona FD, Onat AM, Fernández-Aranguren T. Analysis of Systemic Sclerosis-associated Genes in a Turkish Population. J Rheumatol. 2016 Jul; 43(7): 1376–9. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.160045.
 
27.
Marie I, Gehanno JF. Environmental risk factors of systemic sclerosis. Semin Immunopathol. 2015 Sep; 37(5): 463–73.
 
28.
Liu T, Dai W, Li C, et al. Baicalin Alleviates Silica-Induced Lung Inflammation and Fibrosis by Inhibiting the Th17 Response in C57BL/6 Mice. J Nat Prod. 2015 Dec 24; 78(12): 3049–57.
 
29.
Li C, Du S, Lu Y et al. Blocking the 4–1BB Pathway Ameliorates Crystalline Silica-induced Lung Inflammation and Fibrosis in Mice. Theranostics. 2016 Sep 9; 6(12): 2052–2067. eCollection 2016.
 
30.
Bramwell B. Diffuse scleroderma: its frequency, its occurrence in stone masons, its treatment by fibrolysinelevations of temperature due to fibrolysin injections. Edinburgh MedJd 1914; 12: 387–401.
 
31.
Erasmus L D. Scleroderma in gold miners on the Witz Witwatersrand with particular reference to pulmonary manifestations. S Afry Lab Clin Med. 1957; 3: 209–31.
 
32.
Haustein U F, Ziegler V. Environmentally induced systemic sclerosis-like disorders. Int3J Dermatol. 1985; 24: 147–51.
 
33.
Marie I, Gehanno JF, Bubenheim M, et al. Prospective study to evaluate the association between systemic sclerosis and occupational exposure and review of the literature. Autoimmun Rev. 2014 Feb; 13(2): 151–6.
 
34.
Freire M, Alonso M, Rivera A et al. Clinical peculiarities of patients with scleroderma exposed to silica: A systematic review of the literature. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2015 Dec; 45(3): 294–300. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2015.06.004.
 
35.
Magnant J, de Monte M, Guilmot JL, et al. Relationship between occupational risk factors and severity markers of systemic sclerosis. J Rheumatol. 2005; 32: 1713–1718.
 
36.
Walder BK. Solvents and scleroderma. Lancet 1965; ii: 436–7.
 
37.
Czirjak L, Katalin D, Schlammadinger J et al. Progressive systemic sclerosis occurring in patients exposed to chemicals. IntJ Dermatol 1987; 26: 374.
 
38.
Tabuenca JM. Toxic-allergic syndrome caused by ingestion of rapeseed oil denatured with aniline. Lancet. 1981 Sep 12; 2(8246): 567–8.
 
39.
Bernatsky S, Smargiassi A, Barnabe C et al. Fine particulate air pollution and systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease in two Canadian provinces. Environ Res. 2016 Apr; 146: 85–91.
 
40.
Noonan CW, Pfau JC, Larson TC, et al. Nested case-control study of autoimmune disease in an asbestos-exposed population. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Aug; 114(8): 1243–7.
 
41.
Niklas K, Niklas AA, Majewski D, et al. Rheumatic diseases induced by drugs and environmental factors: the state-of-the-art – part two. Reumatologia. 2016; 54(4): 165–169.
 
42.
Haustein UF. Scleroderma and pseudo-scleroderma: uncommon presentations. Clin Dermatol. 2005 Sep-Oct; 23(5): 480–90.
 
43.
Saigusa R, Asano Y, Nakamura K, et al. Association of anti-RNA polymerase III antibody and silicone breast implants in patients with systemic sclerosis. J Dermatol. 2016 Jul; 43(7): 808–10.
 
eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top