Maurizio Cutolo1, Amber Vanhaecke2, Barbara Ruaro3, Ellen Deschepper4, Claudia Ickinger5, Karin Melsens6, Yves Piette7, Amelia Chiara Trombetta3, Filip De Keyser8, Vanessa Smith9. 1. Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Via Balbi 5, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: mcutolo@unige.it. 2. Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: amber.vanhaecke@ugent.be. 3. Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Via Balbi 5, Genoa, Italy. 4. Biostatistics Unit, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: ellen.deschepper@ugent.be. 5. Division of Rheumatology, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, PO Box Bertsham 2013, Johannesburg, South Africa. Electronic address: ickinger@wol.co.za. 6. Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: karin.melsens@ugent.be. 7. Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: yves.piette@ugent.be. 8. Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: filip.dekeyser@ugent.be. 9. Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: vanessa.smith@ugent.be.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: A reliable tool to evaluate flow is paramount in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We describe herein on the one hand a systematic literature review on the reliability of laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) to measure the peripheral blood perfusion (PBP) in SSc and perform an additional pilot study, investigating the intra- and inter-rater reliability of LASCA. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in 3 electronic databases, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In the pilot study, 30 SSc patients and 30 healthy subjects (HS) underwent LASCA assessment. Intra-rater reliability was assessed by having a first anchor rater performing the measurements at 2 time-points and inter-rater reliability by having the anchor rater and a team of second raters performing the measurements in 15 SSc and 30 HS. The measurements were repeated with a second anchor rater in the other 15 SSc patients, as external validation. RESULTS: Only 1 of the 14 records of interest identified through the systematic search was included in the final analysis. In the additional pilot study: intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for intra-rater reliability of the first anchor rater was 0.95 in SSc and 0.93 in HS, the ICC for inter-rater reliability was 0.97 in SSc and 0.93 in HS. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of the second anchor rater was 0.78 and 0.87. CONCLUSIONS: The identified literature regarding the reliability of LASCA measurements reports good to excellent inter-rater agreement. This very pilot study could confirm the reliability of LASCA measurements with good to excellent inter-rater agreement and found additionally good to excellent intra-rater reliability. Furthermore, similar results were found in the external validation.
OBJECTIVES: A reliable tool to evaluate flow is paramount in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We describe herein on the one hand a systematic literature review on the reliability of laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) to measure the peripheral blood perfusion (PBP) in SSc and perform an additional pilot study, investigating the intra- and inter-rater reliability of LASCA. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in 3 electronic databases, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In the pilot study, 30 SSc patients and 30 healthy subjects (HS) underwent LASCA assessment. Intra-rater reliability was assessed by having a first anchor rater performing the measurements at 2 time-points and inter-rater reliability by having the anchor rater and a team of second raters performing the measurements in 15 SSc and 30 HS. The measurements were repeated with a second anchor rater in the other 15 SSc patients, as external validation. RESULTS: Only 1 of the 14 records of interest identified through the systematic search was included in the final analysis. In the additional pilot study: intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for intra-rater reliability of the first anchor rater was 0.95 in SSc and 0.93 in HS, the ICC for inter-rater reliability was 0.97 in SSc and 0.93 in HS. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of the second anchor rater was 0.78 and 0.87. CONCLUSIONS: The identified literature regarding the reliability of LASCA measurements reports good to excellent inter-rater agreement. This very pilot study could confirm the reliability of LASCA measurements with good to excellent inter-rater agreement and found additionally good to excellent intra-rater reliability. Furthermore, similar results were found in the external validation.
Keywords:
EULAR Study Group on Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases; Laser speckle contrast analysis; Microcirculation; Reliability; Systematic literature review; Systemic sclerosis
Authors: Carmen Bobeica; Mihaela Craescu; Bogdan Ioan Stefanescu; Ciprian Dinu; Iulia Chiscop; Silvia Chirobocea; Luiza Nechita; Alina Viorica Iancu; Victorita Stefanescu; Gabriela Balan; Ioana Anca Stefanopol; Ana Maria Pelin; Elena Niculet; Carmina Liana Musat; Alin Laurentiu Tatu Journal: Int J Gen Med Date: 2022-04-26
Authors: Barbara Ruaro; Elisa Baratella; Paola Confalonieri; Marco Confalonieri; Fabio Giuseppe Vassallo; Barbara Wade; Pietro Geri; Riccardo Pozzan; Gaetano Caforio; Cristina Marrocchio; Maria Assunta Cova; Francesco Salton Journal: Diagnostics (Basel) Date: 2021-12-07