OBJECTIVES: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs frequently in patients with SSc. We investigated whether the presence of GERD and/or the use of anti-acid therapy, specifically proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), are associated with long-term outcomes, especially in SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

METHODS: We retrospectively analysed patients with SSc and SSc-ILD from the German Network for Systemic Sclerosis (DNSS) database (2003 onwards). Kaplan-Meier analysis compared overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with GERD vs without GERD (SSc and SSc-ILD), and PPI vs no PPI use (SSc-ILD only). Progression was defined as a decrease in either percentage predicted forced vital capacity of ≥10% or single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide of ≥15%, or death.

RESULTS: It was found that 2693/4306 (63%) registered patients with SSc and 1204/1931 (62%) with SSc-ILD had GERD. GERD was not associated with decreased OS or decreased PFS in patients in either cohort. In SSc-ILD, PPI use was associated with improved OS vs no PPI use after 1 year [98.4% (95% CI: 97.6, 99.3); n = 760 vs 90.8% (87.9-93.8); n = 290] and after 5 years [91.4% (89.2-93.8); n = 357 vs 70.9% (65.2-77.1); n = 106; P < 0.0001]. PPI use was also associated with improved PFS vs no PPI use after 1 year [95.9% (94.6-97.3); n = 745 vs 86.4% (82.9-90.1); n = 278] and after 5 years [66.8% (63.0-70.8); n = 286 vs 45.9% (39.6-53.2); n = 69; P < 0.0001].

CONCLUSION: GERD had no effect on survival in SSc or SSc-ILD. PPIs improved survival in patients with SSc-ILD. Controlled, prospective trials are needed to confirm this finding.