Tünde Minier1, Serena Guiducci2, Silvia Bellando-Randone2, Cosimo Bruni2, Gemma Lepri2, László Czirják1, Oliver Distler3, Ulrich A Walker4, Jaap Fransen5, Yannick Allanore6, Christopher Denton7, Maurizio Cutolo8, Alan Tyndall4, Ulf Müller-Ladner9, Marco Matucci-Cerinic2. 1. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary. 2. Department of Biomedicine, Division of Rheumatology AOUC and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. 3. Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 4. Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 5. Department of Rheumatology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 6. Department of Rheumatology, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France. 7. Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, UCL Medical School, Royal Free Campus, London, UK. 8. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Research Laboratory and Academic Clinical Unit of Rheumatology, Viale Benedetto, Italy. 9. Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) Scleroderma Trials and Research Group (EUSTAR) has identified preliminary criteria for very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Our aim was to assess the prevalence of each proposed diagnostic item in a large observational patient cohort with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). METHODS: Baseline data of 469 RP patients enrolled into the Very Early Diagnosis of Systemic Sclerosis (VEDOSS) cohort are presented. RESULTS: 68% of all RP patients were antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive. ANA+ RP patients more frequently had previous or current puffy fingers (PuFi) (38.5% and 23.3%, p<0.01) and an SSc pattern on nailfold capillaroscopy (NC) (53.6% and 13.4%, p<0.001) than ANA- patients. Telangiectasia, current digital ulcers and digital pitting scars were also commoner in ANA+ RP patients. 38% of ANA+ patients presented with all three features, which should raise suspicion of very early SSc (ANA+RP+PuFi constitutes a 'red flag'). These patients more frequently exhibited an NC SSc pattern, sclerodactyly and telangiectases compared to ANA+ patients without PuFi. Almost 90% of patients with 'red flags' had anti-centromere or anti-topoisomerase I antibodies and/or an NC SSc pattern, and fulfilled the EUSTAR criteria for very early SSc. Previous or current PuFi were present in 23.3% of ANA- RP patients, eight of whom also had an NC SSc pattern. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to well-characterised predictive factors, PuFi is an important sign raising suspicion for underlying very early SSc in patients with RP. The relevance of PuFi in ANA- RP patients should be clarified. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
OBJECTIVES: The EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) Scleroderma Trials and Research Group (EUSTAR) has identified preliminary criteria for very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Our aim was to assess the prevalence of each proposed diagnostic item in a large observational patient cohort with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). METHODS: Baseline data of 469 RP patients enrolled into the Very Early Diagnosis of Systemic Sclerosis (VEDOSS) cohort are presented. RESULTS: 68% of all RP patients were antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive. ANA+ RP patients more frequently had previous or current puffy fingers (PuFi) (38.5% and 23.3%, p<0.01) and an SSc pattern on nailfold capillaroscopy (NC) (53.6% and 13.4%, p<0.001) than ANA- patients. Telangiectasia, current digital ulcers and digital pitting scars were also commoner in ANA+ RP patients. 38% of ANA+ patients presented with all three features, which should raise suspicion of very early SSc (ANA+RP+PuFi constitutes a 'red flag'). These patients more frequently exhibited an NC SSc pattern, sclerodactyly and telangiectases compared to ANA+ patients without PuFi. Almost 90% of patients with 'red flags' had anti-centromere or anti-topoisomerase I antibodies and/or an NC SSc pattern, and fulfilled the EUSTAR criteria for very early SSc. Previous or current PuFi were present in 23.3% of ANA- RP patients, eight of whom also had an NC SSc pattern. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to well-characterised predictive factors, PuFi is an important sign raising suspicion for underlying very early SSc in patients with RP. The relevance of PuFi in ANA- RP patients should be clarified. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
Authors: M Aringer; U Müller-Ladner; H Burkhardt; J H W Distler; O Distler; W B Graninger; C Günther; N Hunzelmann; H Kiener; M Sticherling; C Sunderkötter; U A Walker; G Riemekasten Journal: Z Rheumatol Date: 2015-03 Impact factor: 1.372
Authors: Vivek Nagaraja; Marco Matucci-Cerinic; Daniel E Furst; Masataka Kuwana; Yannick Allanore; Christopher P Denton; Ganesh Raghu; Vallerie Mclaughlin; Panduranga S Rao; James R Seibold; John D Pauling; Michael L Whitfield; Dinesh Khanna Journal: Arthritis Rheumatol Date: 2020-05-18 Impact factor: 10.995