The findings showed that blocking oestrogens might help women suffering from systemic sclerosis. SSc, also known as scleroderma, which means ‘hard skin’, is an autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs and which predominantly affects women.
The excessive production of proteins such as collagen by fibroblasts in the body results in the thickening and hardening of the skin, particularly of the hands and face – a defining feature of SSc. The condition increased in women after the menopause as oestrogens – that were found to significantly slow down fibrosis (the thickening of the skin) – decreased. “Inhibiting this oestrogen showed a consistent and significant deterioration of the process of skin fibrosis,” said Jerome Avouac from Paris Descartes University in France.
In some SSc patients, disease progression is very rapid, with fibrosis extending beyond the extremities. The widespread fibrosis (thickening) involving the internal organs can prove a survival risk in such patients and can also be considered as a valuable marker of the overall disease severity.