Australian Scleroderma Interest Group (ASIG)

The Australian Scleroderma Interest Group (ASIG) is a multidisciplinary collaboration of rheumatologists, immunologists, cardiologists and respiratory physicians around Australia with a special interest in improving the outcomes of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).

In 2007, ASIG established the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study (ASCS), to screen annually for heart and lung complications in Australian centres and a longitudinal observational cohort for research collaborations nationally and internationally.

Aims

  • Enhance clinical care by increasing the rate of screening for SSc-related PAH and ILD to allow earlier identification of patients at high risk, and institution of timely treatment.
  • Identify and quantify risk and prognostic factors for cardiopulmonary outcomes in SSc and MCTD through the systematic prospective collection of clinical and laboratory data. 
  • Contribution to research into predisposing factors for serious complications which requires a large cohort study such as the ASCS
  • National data linkage to quantify burden of disease and disease outcomes

Links

Click here to find out more about how to join the ARA.