Liaskos C, et al. - Since anti-C1q autoantibodies (autoAbs) are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but have not been adequately investigated for their presence in other rheumatic diseases, researchers evaluated anti-C1q autoAbs and circulating immune complexes (CICs) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). In this investigation involving 124 patients with SSc, anti-C1q antibodies have been found in 13 out of 38 SLE patients. Investigators found that anti-C1q antibodies were more common in males than in females with SSc. They concluded that anti-C1q autoAbs have been frequently detected in SSc patients and their high levels predict pulmonary fibrosis or pulmonary arterial hypertension co-occurrence.