Polyarthralgia suggests poor prognosis in systemic sclerosis with both pulmonary fibrosis and anti-DNA topoisomerase I antibodies

Clinical features were studied in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who had both pulmonary fibrosis and anti-DNA topoisomerase I antibodies, and who ultimately died of this organ involvement. The subjects consisted of 62 patients with SSc. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. The frequency of polyarthralgia was significantly higher in these patients than in other SSc patients. However, the frequency of positive reaction of rheumatoid factor was not significantly different. These results suggested that polyarthralgia as fibrotic change in the skin and contracture shows a poor prognosis in these SSc patients.