According to the Scleroderma Foundation, the word "scleroderma" comes from two Greek words: "sclero" meaning hard, and "derma" meaning skin. Hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease. The symptoms of scleroderma vary greatly from individual to individual, and the effects of scleroderma can range from very mild to life-threatening. The seriousness will depend on what parts of the body are affected and the extent to which they are affected.

Peggy Brown, who is the vice president of the Texas Bluebonnet Chapter of the Scleroderma Foundation, is heartened by the research. "If they can figure out what causes it, they can find a cure," Brown said.

The president of the Texas Bluebonnet Chapter, Cindi Brannum, said that because healthcare providers do not know what causes scleroderma, treatments are focused on symptoms. "We're using other people's medicine to treat our disease. There is no specific scleroderma treatment," she said.

Forty-three-year-old scleroderma patient Shannon Abert, who was part of the study, said, "Scleroderma affects everyone differently. About the only thing we all share is Raynaud's syndrome, which is discoloration of the fingers, and acid reflux."

The study, which is titled "Genome-wide association study of systemic sclerosis identifies CD247 as a new susceptibility locus," received support from the National Institutes of Health.

Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston