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Career situation of first and presenting author Student for a master or a PhD. Introduction Fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs, especially digestive tract, and musculoskeletal involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) can have a negative impact on body composition and physical activity. Objectives The aim was to assess body composition and physical activity of SSc patients and healthy controls (HC) and the association with selected inflammatory cytokines in SSc. Methods 59 patients with SSc (50 females; mean age 52.5; disease duration 6.7 years; lcSSc:34/dcSSc:25) and 59 age-/sex-matched HC (50 females, mean age 52.5) without rheumatic or tumour diseases were included. SSc patients fulfilled ACR/EULAR 2013 criteria. We assessed body composition (densitometry: iDXA Lunar, bioelectric impedance: BIA-2000-M), physical activity (Human Activity Profile, HAP questionnaire), disease activity (ESSG activity index) and serum levels of 27 cytokines (commercial multiplex ELISA kit, Bio-Rad Laboratories). Data are presented as mean ±SD. Results Compared to HC, patients with SSc had significantly lower body mass index (BMI), body fat% (BF%) and visceral fat weight (VF), and also significantly decreased lean body mass (LBM), and bone mineral density (BMD). Compared to HC, patients with SSc had increased extracellular mass/body cell mass (ECM/BCM) ratio, reflecting deteriorated nutritional status and worse muscle predispositions for physical activity. Increased ECM/BCM in SSc positively correlated with disease activity (ESSG), skin score (mRSS) and inflammation (CRP, ESR), and was associated with worse quality of life (HAQ, SHAQ), fatigue (FSS), and decreased physical activity (HAP). ESSG negatively correlated with BF%. HAP positively correlated with BMD. Increased serum levels of several inflammatory cytokines were associated with alterations of body composition. Conclusions Compared to healthy age-/sex-matched individuals we found significant negative changes in body composition of our SSc patients, which are associated with the disease activity and physical activity, and could reflect their nutritional status, and gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal involvement. Serum levels of certain inflammatory cytokines were associated with alterations of body composition in SSc patients. References none Acknowledgements Supported byAZV NV18–01-00161A, MHCR 023728 and GAUK 312218. Disclosure of Interest None declared. |
