A recent study found that serum type I interferon scores significantly predict clinically meaningful disease progression in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis.
In the retrospective, longitudinal cohort study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, investigators analyzed data from 149 patients, with 67 categorized as having a “high” IFN score and 82 as “low.” They assessed time to clinical worsening (TTCW) using a composite endpoint based on the MINIMISE clinical trial framework.
The patients with high IFN scores demonstrated a markedly shorter TTCW compared with their low IFN counterparts (74.7 months, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 70.1–79.3] vs 110.6 months, 95% CI = 107.2–114.0, P < .001). Moreover, a greater proportion of the patients with high IFN scores met the clinical worsening endpoint (55% vs 12%, P < .001).
The investigators highlighted a strong association between high IFN scores and disease progression, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 5.5 (95% CI = 2.7–11.3) for TTCW compared with low IFN scores. When IFN scores were treated as continuous variables, they conferred a 2.38 (95% CI = 1.4–4.0) HR for TTCW independently of clinical features.
"Serum assessment of type I IFN activity is a valuable predictor of clinically meaningful outcomes in [limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis]. The combination of serum IFN score with sentinel clinical features can improve stratification strategies in clinical trials and patient management," said lead study author Stefano Di Donato, MD, of the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Leeds in Leeds, England, and colleagues.
Additional factors associated with clinical worsening included pulmonary arterial hypertension, interstitial lung disease, digital ulcers, and modified Rodnan Skin Scores. Exploratory analysis indicated that combining IFN score with these clinical features enhanced risk stratification over time.
The investigators suggested that integrating IFN scores into clinical practice could aid in patient management and stratification in clinical trials. No conflicts of interest were disclosed by the study authors. Full disclosures are detailed in the study.
