Emerging Blood Biomarkers in Systemic Sclerosis: From Single Molecules to Biomarker-Based Patient Stratification

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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease characterized by immune dysregulation, vasculopathy, and fibrosis involving the skin and internal organs. Interstitial lung disease (ILD), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and cardiac involvement remain major causes of morbidity and mortality, yet prediction of disease progression and therapeutic responsiveness remains difficult. Methods: This narrative review summarizes studies of circulating blood biomarkers in SSc, with emphasis on literature published since 2020 and on Japanese multicenter longitudinal cohort studies. Disease-specific autoantibodies were intentionally excluded from the main scope, and the review focuses on soluble biomarkers measurable in peripheral blood that reflect inflammation, endothelial injury, and fibrotic remodeling. Results: Multiple cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, endothelial markers, extracellular vesicle-associated molecules, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related molecules have been associated with disease activity, organ involvement, prognosis, and therapeutic response in SSc. Clinically established biomarkers such as KL-6 and surfactant protein-D (SP-D) for SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), are already used as adjunctive tools in routine clinical assessment, whereas many other candidate biomarkers, including interleukin (IL)-6, CCL2, CXCL8, CXCL4, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), CCL18, periostin, endostatin, endothelin-1, extracellular vesicle signatures, and ECM turnover markers remain at varying stages of clinical validation. In particular, Japanese multicenter longitudinal studies have demonstrated the prognostic significance of circulating chemokines and adhesion molecules in early SSc and, more recently, identified biomarker-based clusters associated with distinct pulmonary trajectories. Recent multidimensional proteomic and transcriptomic approaches further support biologically based patient stratification in SSc. Conclusions: Blood biomarkers may contribute to risk stratification, prediction of organ progression, and future precision medicine in SSc. Integrated biomarker signatures may better capture the biological heterogeneity of SSc than single biomarkers alone. However, most candidate biomarkers still require external validation, assay standardization, and demonstration of incremental value over conventional clinical variables before routine clinical implementation.

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