Table 4.

Clinical manifestations of African American patients with AFA compared to those without AFA (adjusted for disease duration).

CharacteristicAFA-positive, n = 50AFA-negative, n = 221OR (95% CI)p
Age*, mean (SD), yrs41.7 (13.31)47.9 (13.25)−6.29 (−10.59, −1.99)**0.004
Female*, %86.084.60.89 (0.31, 2.24)0.806
Cutaneous involvement*, diffuse, %36.039.50.86 (0.43, 1.69)0.642
Disease duration at enrollment*5.34 (5.14)6.28 (6.85)−0.93 (−3.51, 1.64)**0.475
Deceased, %30.029.50.99 (0.47, 2.03)0.892
Modified Rodnan skin score, mean (± SD)14.31 (7.62)17.83 (13.50)−2.55 (−9.66, 4.54)**0.476
Digital ulcer, %79.353.83.31 (1.27, 8.62)0.014
Dysphagia, %60.054.81.24 (0.49, 3.19)0.619
Diarrhea, %53.919.24.84 (1.29, 18.13)0.019
Pericarditis, %28.212.82.45 (0.86, 6.93)0.092
Pulmonary artery hypertension, %10.022.40.38 (0.09, 1.19)0.081
SSc interstitial lung fibrosis, %28.247.30.64 (0.28, 1.52)0.322
FVC % predicted, mean (± SD)77.8 (17.7)72.9 (23.2)6.08 (−4.54, 16.69)**0.259
DLCO % predicted, mean (± SD)67.7 (17.2)57.9 (24.6)9.45 (−2.24, 21.14)**0.112
SSc renal crisis, %10.58.41.28 (0.28, 4.54)0.921
Myositis or muscle weakness, %30.040.61.05 (0.21, 5.28)0.953
Elevated serum creatine kinase28.630.90.88 (0.31, 2.54)0.817
Arthritis, %21.931.00.53 (0.13, 2.13)0.370
Joint contracture22.921.41.44 (0.56, 3.72)0.447
Sicca symptoms20.028.10.64 (0.11, 3.69)0.621
Medsger severity index, mean (± SD)
  General0.60.50.06 (−0.53, 0.64)**0.838
  Peripheral vascular2.21.40.79 (0.27, 1.30)**0.003
  Skin1.51.7−0.27 (−0.84, 0.31)**0.361
  Joint0.80.9−0.09 (−0.92, 0.73)**0.813
  Muscle0.20.3−0.10 (−0.41, 0.21)**0.521
  GI tract0.60.60.02 (−0.43, 0.39)**0.935
  Lung1.11.9−0.82 (−1.50, −0.14)**0.019
  Heart0.50.30.16 (−0.27, 0.58)**0.457
  Kidney0.10.30.19 (−0.68, 0.29)**0.441
  • * These comparisons were not adjusted for disease duration. Student’s t test and chi-square were utilized for comparisons, accordingly.

  • ** Mean differences.

  • Two of 3 symptoms of dry mouth, dry eye, and/or enlarged parotid.