Table 3– Risks of lung function worsening over time in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) according to optimal CC chemokine ligand (CCL)18 cut-off
HR (95%CI)p-value
CCL18 >187 ng·mL−15.36 (2.44–11.75)<0.001
Duration of disease#0.97 (0.93–1.01)0.10
DL,CO0.97 (0.95–1.00)0.04

  • Full backward analysis provided a final model that we also obtained using the forward multivariate analysis. The initial multivariate analysis model was adjusted for age and duration of disease, and all other parameters with a p-value of <0.20 in the univariate analysis (i.e. sex, form of SSc, presence of interstitial lung disease, forced vital capacity, presence of systolic pulmonary artery pressure of ≥40 mmHg, fibrinogen, immunosuppressive therapy and forced vital capacity). HR: hazard ratio; DL,CO: diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide. #: per yr; : per % predicted.