Scleroderma clinical trials consortium classification criteria for systemic sclerosis heart involvement

L Ross; AT Burns; A La Gerche; D Hansen; JG Coghlan; W Stevens; D Prior; A Pham; P McKelvie; C Bellocchi; Y Braun Moscovici; C Bruni; P Carreira; T Frech; S Hoa; M Hudson; V Hsu; A Hsiu Ling Low; M Matucci-Cerinic; B Medina Fonseca; SA Ng; T Rodriguez Reyna; J Sahhar; M Talaat; S Proudman; A Vacca; M Baron; M Nikpour

Journal article

Scleroderma clinical trials consortium classification criteria for systemic sclerosis heart involvement

L Ross, AT Burns, A La Gerche, D Hansen, JG Coghlan, W Stevens, D Prior, A Pham, P McKelvie, C Bellocchi, Y Braun Moscovici, C Bruni, P Carreira, T Frech, S Hoa, M Hudson, V Hsu, A Hsiu Ling Low, M Matucci-Cerinic, B Medina Fonseca Show all

Rheumatology Oxford England | Published : 2026

DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keag109

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Systemic sclerosis-associated heart involvement (SHI) is an enigmatic disease manifestation associated with high mortality. The Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium (SCTC) Cardiac Working Group developed SHI classification criteria to enable systematic investigation of this condition. METHODS: An international, interdisciplinary working group was assembled. Using consensus methods and existing literature, provisional SHI classification criteria items were developed. Continuous consensus exercises and a discrete choice experiment were performed to reduce items and derive individual item weights. The sensitivity and specificity of the classification criteria were tested in an ind..

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