PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Gunnel Sandqvist AU - Dirk M. Wuttge AU - Roger Hesselstrand TI - The Modified Hand Mobility in Scleroderma Test and Skin Involvement — A Followup Study AID - 10.3899/jrheum.151142 DP - 2016 May 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - jrheum.151142 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2016/04/22/jrheum.151142.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2016/04/22/jrheum.151142.full AB - Objective To study the change in the modified Hand Mobility in Scleroderma (mHAMIS) test from early to advanced stages of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and the relationship between mHAMIS and skin involvement during followup. Methods This retrospective study includes 65 patients with baseline disease duration of ≤ 3 years who were assessed with the mHAMIS test at baseline and at 1 or 2 predefined followup points (3.1–5 yrs and 5.1–9 yrs after disease onset). Studied measures were the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), mRSS of the hand, serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, and digital vascular lesions. Results The mHAMIS and the mRSS hand changed synchronously during the first 5 years after disease onset (rs = 0.44, p = 0.001). In the group with high mHAMIS at baseline, both mHAMIS and mRSS hand improved significantly at the first followup (p < 0.05), and the improvement sustained during the followup in the mRSS hand. Patients with antitopoisomerase I and anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies had significantly higher mHAMIS at baseline (p = 0.003) and at the second followup (p = 0.030) compared to patients with anticentromere antibodies. Patients with digital vascular lesions at baseline had significantly higher mHAMIS during the followup (p < 0.05) compared to patients without. The mHAMIS improved significantly during the followup in patients with immunosuppressive treatment in early disease (p < 0.05), but not in patients without this treatment. Conclusion The mHAMIS reflects disease activity in fibrosis in early stages of SSc. In later stages it can be regarded as a measure of damage arising from fibrotic and vascular involvement, making it suitable as an endpoint in followup examinations.