Ivan Castellví1, Carmen Pilar Simeón-Aznar2, Mónica Sarmiento2, Ana Fortuna2, Mercedes Mayos2, Carme Geli2, César Diaz-Torné2, Patricia Moya2, Josep Maria De Llobet2, Jordi Casademont2. 1. From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. icastellvi@santpau.cat. 2. From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is an association between different capillaroscopic findings and pulmonary function tests in systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: We did a retrospective observational study in a cohort of patients with SSc and early SSc. Patients with at least 1 nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) magnified 120× were included. Pathological findings were giant capillaries, angiogenesis, and density loss. Findings were compared with lung function values: percent expected value of forced vital capacity (FVC), DLCO, and FVC/DLCO ratio. Other variables collected were sex and SSc type, and the presence of digital ulcers (DU), interstitial lung disease (ILD), scleroderma renal crisis, and/or pulmonary hypertension (PH). RESULTS: Of 136 patients with SSc, 85 had undergone an NVC. The frequency of ILD, DU, and PH was 24.1%, 28.7%, and 17.2%, respectively. Data analysis showed that patients with density loss had worse FVC% (86.91 ± 19.42 vs 101.13 ± 16.06, p < 0.01) and DLCO% (71.43 ± 21.19 vs 85.9 ± 19.81, p < 0.01) compared to those without. CONCLUSION: Patients with loss of density present worse FVC and DLCO values. Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether NVC is useful for studying pulmonary function in SSc.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is an association between different capillaroscopic findings and pulmonary function tests in systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: We did a retrospective observational study in a cohort of patients with SSc and early SSc. Patients with at least 1 nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) magnified 120× were included. Pathological findings were giant capillaries, angiogenesis, and density loss. Findings were compared with lung function values: percent expected value of forced vital capacity (FVC), DLCO, and FVC/DLCO ratio. Other variables collected were sex and SSc type, and the presence of digital ulcers (DU), interstitial lung disease (ILD), scleroderma renal crisis, and/or pulmonary hypertension (PH). RESULTS: Of 136 patients with SSc, 85 had undergone an NVC. The frequency of ILD, DU, and PH was 24.1%, 28.7%, and 17.2%, respectively. Data analysis showed that patients with density loss had worse FVC% (86.91 ± 19.42 vs 101.13 ± 16.06, p < 0.01) and DLCO% (71.43 ± 21.19 vs 85.9 ± 19.81, p < 0.01) compared to those without. CONCLUSION:Patients with loss of density present worse FVC and DLCO values. Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether NVC is useful for studying pulmonary function in SSc.
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Keywords:
CAPILLAROSCOPY; NAILFOLD VIDEOCAPILLAROSCOPY; PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS; SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS