Researchers have found that polysialic acid may be an effective biomarker for skin fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis, according to a recent study published by Khan et al in the Journal of Autoimmunity. Polysialic acid levels have been linked to aggressive types of cancer. Although prior studies have determined that dermal fibroblasts may be responsible for skin fibrosis, the factors driving the complications were previously little understood. In a recent study, researchers developed a novel test to detect polysialic acid in the blood of newly diagnosed patients with systemic sclerosis. They collected blood and tissue samples from 5 patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis, 11 patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis, 4 patients who underwent autologous stem cell transplants, and 5 controls. The researchers then measured the patients’ dermal and serum polysialic acid levels using immunofluorescence microscopy. Patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis demonstrated the highest levels of dermal polysialic acid, and all of the patients with systemic sclerosis had higher levels of polysialic acid than controls. Additionally, dermal polysialic acid levels were positively correlated with the degree of skin fibrosis and serum levels were correlated with the severity of modified Rodnan skin scores in all of the patients involved in the study. The researchers hypothesized that polysialic acid may interfere with the immune system’s ability to recognize pathogenic scleroderma cells. They concluded that further studies may be required to determine the mechanisms behind polysialylation in patients with systemic sclerosis and develop novel therapeutics to combat disease development.
January 25, 2024