Transition From Systemic Sclerosis to Interstitial Lung Disease: Methodological Considerations

We have read with great interest the article by Rodríguez Viera and colleagues 1 employing a systematic review approach to identify soluble mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) that are differentially expressed between patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) and those with SSc alone. The study underscores the central role of pulmonary epithelium–fibroblast interactions in driving the transition from SSc to SSc-ILD.