Differences associated with age at onset in early systemic sclerosis patients: a report from the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research Group (EUSTAR) database

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse differences in clinical presentation in patients with early (< 3 years’ duration) systemic sclerosis (SSc), comparing three age groups according to disease subsets.Method: Cross-sectional analysis of the prospective EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research database (EUSTAR) was performed. Patients fulfilling preliminary American College of Rheumatology 1980 classification criteria for SSc, with < 3 years from the first non-Raynaud’s SSc symptom at first entry, were selected. Patients with < 3 years from the first SSc symptom, including Raynaud’s phenomenon, were also analysed. SSc-related variables, including antibodies, SSc subsets, and organ involvement, were examined. Age was categorized into ≤ 30, 31–59, and ≥ 60 years. We performed descriptive and bivariate analyses.Results: The study included 1027 patients: 90% Caucasian, 80% women, and 40% with diffuse disease. In early stages of SSc, younger patients had significantly more anti-Scl-70 antibodies and dif...