Use of Extracorporeal Photopheresis in Scleroderma: A Review

Background: Scleroderma is a heterogeneous group of diseases that can be localized or systemic. Localized scleroderma is a fibrosis of the skin characterized by inflammation and thickening due to excessive collagen deposition, and systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by vasculopathy, immune dysregulation and skin fibrosis. In general, the prognosis of scleroderma highly depends on the degree of visceral involvement and relates to the degree of skin fibrosis. Despite the numerous therapies used for patients with scleroderma, the disease-related morbidity and mortality are high. Studies have explored the effects of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in scleroderma treatment. Originally used in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, ECP is an immunomodulatory procedure in which a patient’s white blood cells are treated with 8-methoxypsoralen and exposed to UVA radiation to inhibit cell proliferation and induce immunosuppression. Summary: Multiple lines of evidence suggest that ECP may be a safe and possibly effective therapy for patients with scleroderma, specifically demonstrating improvement in patients with cutaneous manifestations of the disease. However, future studies assessing its role in managing visceral involvement are needed. Our review aims to examine and consolidate the results of clinical studies and propose a possible role for ECP in the management of scleroderma. Key Points: ECP may be an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of SSc.