There is a critical need for biomarkers for systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) due to the high mortality rate associated with interstitial lung disease in patients with systemic sclerosis. The pathology of this condition remains poorly understood, highlighting the urgency for advancements in early diagnosis and detection. Biomarkers have the potential to provide a solution to this pressing issue; however, these biomarkers must be of high quality and reliability to aid in the management of SSc-ILD. Treatments are currently initiated following the onset of frank clinical manifestations. These clinical presentations naturally occur only after significant disease progression and tissue damage. Biomarkers may allow for earlier interventions, which may prevent reduced lung function. Biomarkers facilitate diagnostic reasoning processes and prognostic predictions in personalized patient management plans. In current clinical practice, using biomarkers in SSc-ILD is far from well-established. The background and explanation of why there is a near absence of validated biomarkers in this setting are reviewed in this article. The review aims to focus on the candidate markers that are to become routinely offered by pathology services, highlighting the biochemical and pathological rationale for their use.
Alqatta et al. (2026) studied this question.