Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases

Diseases that exhibit signs and symptoms suggestive of a connective tissue disease that do not fulfill clinical or diagnostic criteria for any one defined disease but overlap with criteria of multiple such diseases. Commonly overlapping diseases include systemic autoimmune connective tissue diseases such as RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS; SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS; and SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS.

Also Known As:

Networked: 132 relevant articles (2 outcomes, 14 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Dermatomyositis (Dermatopolymyositis)
2.	Arthralgia (Joint Pain)
3.	Hyperhidrosis
4.	Calcinosis
5.	Rheumatic Diseases (Rheumatism)

Experts

1.	Bodolay, Edit: 6 articles (10/2015 - 02/2002)
2.	Cutolo, Maurizio: 4 articles (01/2022 - 01/2008)
3.	Valentini, Gabriele: 3 articles (11/2020 - 08/2012)
4.	Shoenfeld, Yehuda: 3 articles (10/2020 - 01/2011)
5.	Tincani, Angela: 3 articles (10/2020 - 01/2011)
6.	Bombardieri, Stefano: 3 articles (01/2018 - 11/2002)
7.	Mosca, Marta: 3 articles (01/2018 - 11/2002)
8.	Szodoray, Peter: 3 articles (10/2015 - 01/2008)
9.	Gyimesi, Edit: 3 articles (06/2013 - 01/2008)
10.	Zeher, Margit: 3 articles (06/2013 - 12/2005)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases:

1.	Diltiazem (Cardizem)FDA LinkGeneric 04/01/1999 - "This report concerns two Filipino women, one with dermatomyositis, the other with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, who showed significant reduction of widespread calcinosis after treatment with diltiazem."
2.	incobotulinumtoxinAFDA Link 10/01/2021 - "We describe the case of a 35-year-old woman with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, Raynaud's phenomenon, and concomitant primary focal axillary hyperhidrosis for which she received axillary BoNT/A therapy every 6 months who noted significant improvement in her Raynaud's phenomenon and hand arthralgias for 5 months following the axillary injections. "
3.	AntibodiesIBA 07/01/2018 - "The main objective was to determine the prevalence of anti-dense fine speckled (DFS70) antibodies in a stable population of undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) to better define their potential role. " 01/01/2017 - "Isolated Ro52 Antibodies as Immunological Marker of a Mild Phenotype of Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases." 01/01/2017 - "The clinical impact of Anti-DFS70 antibodies in undifferentiated connective tissue disease: case reports and a review of the literature." 01/01/2008 - "Isotype switching and titer variation of anti-Ro/SSA antibodies over time in 100 patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD)." 07/01/2001 - "Undifferentiated connective tissue disease with antibodies to Ro/SSa: clinical features and follow-up of 148 patients."
4.	CytokinesIBA 10/01/2015 - "Cytokine Milieu in Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease: a Comprehensive Review." 05/01/1995 - "To measure the levels of serum soluble CD30 (sCD30), a marker of cells producing T helper 2(Th2)-type cytokines, in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD), and to determine its value in assessing disease activity. " 11/01/2010 - "The aim of this study was to perform a quantitative and functional analysis of natural CD4+CD25(high)Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (nTregs) and CD4+IL-17+ T cells, and to assess the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) before and after 5 weeks of 0.5 μg/day alfacalcidol supplementation. " 01/01/2023 - "Adult NA patients with autoantibody-positive (AAB+) rheumatoid arthritis (RA; n = 28), autoantibody negative (AAB-) RA (n = 18), systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (n = 28), arthralgia/osteoarthritis (n = 28), or polyarthritis/undifferentiated connective tissue disease (n = 28), and control patients (n = 28) provided serum samples for cytokine, chemokine, and AAB assessment. " 01/01/2022 - "Recent evidence has shown T-cell-mediated inflammatory responses in cases of NMOSD.20 In particular, Th17 and Th2-related cytokines are elevated in the CSF of NMO patients.20 Environmental factors such as Escherichia coli have also been proven to aggravate autoimmunity in AS and NMOSD (however, body fluid cultures for Escherichia coli, performed in our patient, showed similar association, and they were found negative two times).21,22 Although large-scale epidemiological studies investigating the underlying pathogenesis related to these diseases are lacking, studies have demonstrated an increased incidence of optic neuritis among patients with AS.23 Systemic sclerosis and mixed and undifferentiated connective tissue diseases were excluded after expert opinions (from two board-certified rheumatologists and two dermatologists) because of the lack of suggestive clinical findings (e.g., absence of skin thickening, salt-and-pepper appearance, nail changes, Mauskopf facies, sclerodactyly, calcinosis cutis, Raynaud's phenomenon, other cutaneous manifestations, pulmonary arterial hypertension/interstitial lung disease, dysphagia, muscular pain/weakness renal impairments, absence of ANA, anti-centromere antibodies, anti-Scl-70, PM-Scl antibodies, anti-ds DNA, PCNA, CENP-B, anti-nucleosomes, anti-Smith, anti-U1-RNP, anti-Jo1, anti-Mi2, anti-Ro52, anti-La antibodies, and normal C3 and C4 complement levels) (The European League Against Rheumatism and the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria 2019).24 Finally, our patient was treated with intravenous steroids followed by rituximab infusions, a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody directed against B-cells. "
5.	AutoantibodiesIBA 09/13/2022 - "The objective was to describe the clinical characteristics and the frequency of the ANA/DFS70 autoantibodies in patients affected by undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) in a tertiary hospital in Colombia. " 09/13/2022 - "Frequency of ANA/DFS70 autoantibodies in Colombian patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease." 07/01/2018 - "Anti-DFS70 autoantibodies in undifferentiated connective tissue diseases subjects: what's on the horizon?" 01/01/2018 - "Clinical associations of the positive anti Ro52 without Ro60 autoantibodies: undifferentiated connective tissue diseases." 11/01/2012 - "Out of 3932 women screened, 491 (12.5%) were screened positive at the questionnaire; of them, 165(33.6%) tested positive for autoantibodies, including 66 eventually diagnosed with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD), 28 with a definite CTD and 71 with insufficient criteria for a diagnosis. "
6.	Vitamin DFDA LinkGeneric 01/01/2008 - "The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). " 06/01/2013 - "Conductor of regulatory cells: does vitamin D restore the shifted balance of the distinct regulatory cell types in undifferentiated connective tissue disease?" 01/01/2011 - "Serum levels of vitamin D have been found to be significantly lower in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, undifferentiated connective tissue disease, and type-1 diabetes mellitus than in the healthy population. " 01/01/2008 - "Patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease also show vitamin D deficiency and, interestingly, patients who progress into connective tissue diseases have lower vitamin D levels than those who remain in the undifferentiated connective tissue disease stage." 05/01/2020 - "We searched for articles on PubMed by keywords: vitamin D, connective tissue diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, undifferentiated connective tissue disease. "
7.	Antinuclear AntibodiesIBA 08/01/2009 - "The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical and serological features of a large cohort of patients with antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). " 01/01/2008 - "The determination of antinuclear antibodies in high titer without any specific, typical of individual disease entities antinuclear antibodies allowed only the diagnose of undifferentiated connective tissue disease. " 02/01/1999 - "An increased antinuclear antibody level and a Sm-antibody lead to the diagnosis of undifferentiated connective tissue disease. " 06/01/2021 - "Diagnosis of Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease in a Patient With Digital Gangrene and Positive Antinuclear Antibodies." 05/01/2021 - "All patients had, except for one patient diagnosed with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, positive antinuclear antibodies titres, 11 of them had disease specific antibodies (9 anti-centromere, one anti-Scl70 and other anti-RNPC). "
8.	Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)FDA LinkGeneric 12/26/2019 - "Hydroxychloroquine-induced renal phospholipidosis resembling Fabry disease in undifferentiated connective tissue disease: A case report." 12/01/2008 - "Case 1 had an arthritis predominant undifferentiated connective tissue disease, which was treated with hydroxychloroquine for 4-5 years. " 01/01/2020 - "We present the case of a 34-year-old woman who developed CLS superimposed to acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis after initiating therapy with hydroxychloroquine for undifferentiated connective tissue disease. " 09/09/2020 - "A three-arm, multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial of hydroxychloroquine and low-dose prednisone to treat recurrent pregnancy loss in women with undifferentiated connective tissue diseases: protocol for the Immunosuppressant regimens for LIving FEtuses (ILIFE) trial." 10/01/2012 - "An undifferentiated connective tissue disease was diagnosed and treatment with deflazacort, naproxen and hydroxychloroquine was begun. "
9.	Immunoglobulin G (IgG)IBA 01/01/1995 - "We have characterized a human IgG antibody present in the serum of a patient with an autoimmune undifferentiated connective tissue disease and reactive with PtK2 epithelial cell-cell adhesions. " 03/01/1999 - "aPL antibodies (IgG, IgM) were measured by both a standard ELISA and a new ELISA kit (APhL ELISA Kit, Louisville APL Diagnostics, Inc., Louisville, KY, USA) in the baseline serum from patients enrolled in a 5 year inception cohort, prospective study of early rheumatoid diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (N = 70), SLE (70), scleroderma (45), inflammatory myositis (36), and early undifferentiated connective tissue disease (CTD) (165). " 12/01/1993 - "Three patients are reported with false positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, respectively associated with undifferentiated connective tissue disease or systemic lupus erythematosus. " 12/01/1996 - "Anticardiolipin antibodies (IgG, IgM, and IgA) were measured by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the baseline serum samples of patients enrolled in a Cooperative Study of Systematic Rheumatic Diseases (CSSRD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported, 5-year inception-cohort, prospective study of early rheumatic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n = 70), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, n = 70), scleroderma (PSS, n = 45), myositis (PM/DM, n = 36), and early undifferentiated connective tissue disease (EUCTD, n = 165). "
10.	ImmunosorbentsIBA 12/01/1993 - "Three patients are reported with false positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, respectively associated with undifferentiated connective tissue disease or systemic lupus erythematosus. " 12/01/2019 - "Serum samples of 123 patients with systemic sclerosis and various autoimmune connective tissue disorders (Sjoegren's syndrome [SjS], mixed connective tissue disorder, polymyositis [PM] and dermatomyositis [DM], antiphospholipid syndrome [APLS], and undifferentiated connective tissue disease [UCTD]) were tested for progranulin antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. " 12/01/1996 - "Anticardiolipin antibodies (IgG, IgM, and IgA) were measured by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the baseline serum samples of patients enrolled in a Cooperative Study of Systematic Rheumatic Diseases (CSSRD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported, 5-year inception-cohort, prospective study of early rheumatic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n = 70), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, n = 70), scleroderma (PSS, n = 45), myositis (PM/DM, n = 36), and early undifferentiated connective tissue disease (EUCTD, n = 165). "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Therapeutics 02/03/2002 - "[Undifferentiated connective tissue disease: clinical and serological profile of 578 patients followed for five years: disease course, prognosis and therapy]." 01/01/1995 - "Before corticsteroid therapy, the mean serum ACE level was 26.4 +/- 14.0 mU/ml in patients with MCTD and PH (n = 6), 16.8 +/- 4.1 mU/ml in patients with MCTD but without PH (n = 18), 16.8 +/- 4.1 mU/ml in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (n = 14), and 16.5 +/- 3.9 mU/ml in controls (n = 18). " 12/01/1991 - "We treated a patient with undifferentiated connective tissue disease who developed hypertension, pulmonary compromise, and renal failure requiring prolonged dialysis therapy. " 05/01/2003 - "These 20 patients all had active and symptomatic autoimmune thrombocytopenia that had relapsed or was refractory to standard therapies (15 had idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, 1 idiopathic thrombocytopenia and neutropenia, 2 thrombocytopenia and concomitant undifferentiated connective tissue disease, and 2 had thrombocytopenia and concomitant B-cell lymphoprolipherative disorders). " 01/01/2020 - "We present the case of a 34-year-old woman who developed CLS superimposed to acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis after initiating therapy with hydroxychloroquine for undifferentiated connective tissue disease. "
2.	Aftercare (After-Treatment) 12/01/1991 - "Recovery of renal function in undifferentiated connective tissue disease after treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors." 04/01/1999 - "This report concerns two Filipino women, one with dermatomyositis, the other with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, who showed significant reduction of widespread calcinosis after treatment with diltiazem."
3.	Injections 10/01/2021 - "We describe the case of a 35-year-old woman with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, Raynaud's phenomenon, and concomitant primary focal axillary hyperhidrosis for which she received axillary BoNT/A therapy every 6 months who noted significant improvement in her Raynaud's phenomenon and hand arthralgias for 5 months following the axillary injections. "
4.	Lasers (Laser) 01/01/2020 - "Laser Doppler imaging, nailfold capillaroscopy, spectroscopy, and ultrasound measured (respectively) perfusion, microvascular structure, oxygenation/oxidative stress, and skin thickening in the hands of 265 subjects: 31 patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP), 35 with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD), 93 with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc), 46 with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc, including 27 'early') and 60 healthy controls. " 09/01/1990 - "Matched groups of 7 to 8 patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon, systemic sclerosis, and undifferentiated connective tissue disease and cold-tolerant normal control subjects were studied by simultaneous digital strain gauge plethysmography and laser Doppler capillary velocimetry during two controlled cycles of hand warming and cooling with and without addition of central cooling and during clinical maneuvers to evoke sympathetic tone. " 06/01/1990 - "Matched groups of 7 to 8 patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon, systemic sclerosis, and undifferentiated connective tissue disease and cold tolerant normal control subjects were studied by simultaneous digital strain gauge plethysmography and laser Doppler capillary velocimetry during two controlled cycles of hand warming and cooling. "
5.	Renal Dialysis (Hemodialysis) 01/01/2014 - "Recurrent epistaxis revealing a non-catheter-related superior vena cava syndrome in a hemodialysis patient: unmasking undifferentiated connective tissue disease." 02/01/2021 - "We report the case of a 55 year-old woman with a past medical history significant for kidney transplant with rejection and removal on hemodialysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, porphyria cutanea tarda, undifferentiated connective tissue disease probably systemic lupus, and hepatitis C, who underwent curative chemoradiation treatment for a recurrent vaginal squamous cell carcinoma. "