Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0017168 (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
 11,783 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Systemic sclerosis is an extremely variable disease in its manifestations and consequently, treatment needs to be individualized depending on the specific problems that each patient has. Limited scleroderma patients have a prolonged duration of Raynaud's phenomenon and puffy fingers before they develop any skin thickening, digital ulcers or gastrointestinal symptoms. They are likely to present with all the classic manifestations of scleroderma. Diffuse scleroderma patients have a much more acute systemic onset with marked whole hand swelling and may initially have only subtle skin thickening. A good understanding of the differences between the natural history of limited and diffuse scleroderma will enable the physician to treat present problems and anticipate future ones more effectively. One should determine which major subset and organ systems are involved before deciding on the appropriate therapy. Advances in organ-specific therapy, particularly calcium channel antagonists in Raynaud's phenomenon, proton pump inhibitors in esophageal reflux, intravenous iloprost and endothelin receptor antagonists in pulmonary hypertension, and ACE inhibitors in renal crisis, have decreased morbidity and mortality in patients with scleroderma. Studies of aggressive therapies to prevent or improve pulmonary fibrosis are in progress. Further clinical experience in wound healing, gastrointestinal malabsorption and physical therapy for loss of motion has helped patients to have a more comfortable life. In recent years, a significant number of controlled clinical trials have been performed and there has been improved understanding of the best way to perform studies and of which patients are most likely to respond to therapy. Penicillamine, methotrexate, photopheresis, relaxin, interferons, and cyclosporine have all been studied in controlled trials with variable outcomes. Although an overall remittive therapy has not yet been determined, new, potentially useful agents are being investigated.
 ...
PMID:Treatment of systemic sclerosis. 1172 50

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe fibrotic multiorgan connective tissue disease. Vascular abnormalities such as fingertip ulcers and Raynaud's syndrome as well as involvement of organs including the lungs, heart, kidney and the gastrointestinal tract are prominent features of the disease. There are currently no disease modifying drugs available that can modify the course of the disease. In this review we will discuss medications that have been found to be effective in improving specific organ involvement due to SSc. For the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), proton pump inhibitors are effective agents. In the setting of clinically significant gastrointestinal dysmotility, metoclopramide, erythromycin and octreotide may be beneficial. Small bowel bacterial overgrowth should be treated with oral antibiotics. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors are the first-line agents for acute renal crisis. A variety of treatment options are available for Raynaud's phenomenon and include calcium channel blockers, iloprost (i. v.), losartan, fluoxetine and sildenafil. Fingertip ulcers can be prevented by using the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan. The therapeutic options for treatment of pulmonary hypertension associated with SSc include bosentan, sildenafil and various prostacyclin analogs (eg, epoprostenol, treprostinil, iloprost). Sitaxentan, ambrisentan and new phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors could be new options for therapy as well. Therapeutic options for interstitial lung fibrosis include cyclophosphamide, however, clinical effects are mild to moderate. Methotrexate has been used to treat skin fibrosis and can be beneficial when arthritis is present.
 ...
PMID:[Systemic sclerosis]. 1855 72