. 2022 Sep 29:9:984907.

doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.984907. eCollection 2022.

Exposure to silica and systemic sclerosis: A retrospective cohort study based on the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group

Anastasiya Muntyanu¹, Raymond Milan^{2

3}, Elham Rahme^{3

4}, Avery LaChance⁵, Lydia Ouchene¹, Maxime Cormier⁶, Ivan V Litvinov^{1

7}, Marie Hudson^{8

9}, Murray Baron⁹, Elena Netchiporouk¹; Canadian Scleroderma Research Group

Collaborators, Affiliations

Collaborators

Canadian Scleroderma Research Group:
M Baron¹⁰, M Hudson¹⁰, G Gyger¹⁰, J Pope¹⁰, M Larche¹⁰, N Khalidi¹⁰, A Masetto¹⁰, E Sutton¹⁰, T S Rodriguez Reyna¹⁰, N Maltez¹⁰, C Thorne¹⁰, P R Fortin¹⁰, A Ikic¹⁰, D Robinson¹⁰, N Jones¹⁰, S LeClercq¹⁰, P Docherty¹⁰, D Smith¹⁰, M J Fritzler¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
² Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
³ Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁴ Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁵ Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
⁶ Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁷ Division of Dermatology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
⁸ Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
⁹ Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹⁰ Montreal, Quebec; Montreal, Quebec; Montreal, Quebec; London, Ontario; Hamilton, Ontario; Hamilton, Ontario; Sherbrooke, Quebec; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Mexico City, Mexico; Ottawa, Ontario; Newmarket, Ontario; Quebec, Quebec; Quebec, Quebec; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Edmonton, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta; Moncton, New Brunswick; Ottawa, Ontario; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta.

PMID: 36250083
PMCID: PMC9556811
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.984907

Exposure to silica and systemic sclerosis: A retrospective cohort study based on the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group

Anastasiya Muntyanu et al. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022.

. 2022 Sep 29:9:984907.

doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.984907. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Collaborators

Canadian Scleroderma Research Group:
M Baron¹⁰, M Hudson¹⁰, G Gyger¹⁰, J Pope¹⁰, M Larche¹⁰, N Khalidi¹⁰, A Masetto¹⁰, E Sutton¹⁰, T S Rodriguez Reyna¹⁰, N Maltez¹⁰, C Thorne¹⁰, P R Fortin¹⁰, A Ikic¹⁰, D Robinson¹⁰, N Jones¹⁰, S LeClercq¹⁰, P Docherty¹⁰, D Smith¹⁰, M J Fritzler¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
² Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
³ Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁴ Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁵ Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
⁶ Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁷ Division of Dermatology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
⁸ Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
⁹ Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹⁰ Montreal, Quebec; Montreal, Quebec; Montreal, Quebec; London, Ontario; Hamilton, Ontario; Hamilton, Ontario; Sherbrooke, Quebec; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Mexico City, Mexico; Ottawa, Ontario; Newmarket, Ontario; Quebec, Quebec; Quebec, Quebec; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Edmonton, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta; Moncton, New Brunswick; Ottawa, Ontario; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta.

PMID: 36250083
PMCID: PMC9556811
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.984907

Abstract

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is thought to be induced by an environmental trigger in genetically predisposed individuals. This study assessed the demographic and clinical characteristics and disease severity of silica exposed SSc patients.

Methods: Data was obtained from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group (CSRG) cohort, containing 1,439 patients (2004-2019). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, to determine the phenotype and severity of silica-exposed SSc patients. Mortality was assessed using Cox Survival Regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses.

Results: Among 1,439 patients (86.7% females), 95 patients reported exposure to silica. Those exposed were younger, of male sex and with more severe disease. Sex differences were observed where male patients exposed to silica were more likely to be Caucasian and smokers whereas female patients were younger at SSc diagnosis compared to unexposed. Multivariate regression, controlled for multiple confounders, showed that silica exposure was associated with a younger age at diagnosis and worse disease severity and mortality.

Conclusion: Exposure to silica was reported in ∼7% of CSRG cohort and ∼20% of male patients and was associated with a worse prognosis in terms of age of diagnosis, organ involvement and mortality. Hence, screening for silica exposure among higher risk individuals may be beneficial and these patients may require closer monitoring for systemic disease.

Keywords: environmental triggers; gastrointestinal disease; interstitial lung disease; mortality; occupation; scleroderma; silica; systemic sclerosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1**
Kaplan-Meier curve evaluating mortality over time in silica exposed vs. unexposed groups.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Exposure to silica and systemic sclerosis: A retrospective cohort study based on the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group

Collaborators

Affiliations

Exposure to silica and systemic sclerosis: A retrospective cohort study based on the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group

Authors

Collaborators

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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