A longitudinal biomarker for the extent of skin disease in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To define a pharmacodynamic biomarker based on gene expression in skin that would provide a biologic measure of the extent of disease in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) and could be used to monitor skin disease longitudinally.

Methods

Skin biopsy specimens obtained from a cohort of patients with dcSSc (including longitudinal specimens) were analyzed by microarray. Expression of genes correlating with the modified Rodnan skin thickness score (MRSS) were examined for change over time using a NanoString platform, and a generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to define and validate longitudinally measured pharmacodynamic biomarkers composed of multiple genes.

Results

Microarray analysis of genes parsed to include only those corr

SUBMITTER: Rice LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5522178 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature