Primary pulmonary hypertension is not associated with scleroderma-like changes in nailfold capillaries.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is associated with scleroderma-like changes in nailfold capillaries.


METHODS
Blinded, prospective, case-control study.


METHODS
University medical centers in Baltimore, MD.


METHODS
Thirty-seven patients with PPH, 15 patients with scleroderma, and 13 healthy control subjects.


METHODS
Subjects underwent nailfold capillary videomicroscopy of the fourth digits of both hands. Capillary images were evaluated by two blinded, trained graders according to standardized criteria for the presence of scleroderma nailfold changes.


RESULTS
The prevalence of scleroderma-associated nailfold changes in patients with PPH (1 of 37 patients) was dramatically lower than that in patients with scleroderma (9 of 15 patients; p < 0.0001). The distribution of nailfold grades for the PPH patients was indistinguishable from that of the healthy control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
PPH is not associated with scleroderma-like vasculopathy of nailfold capillaries.
Greidinger
E L
EL
Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA. greidingere@health.missouri.edu
Gaine
S P
SP
Wise
R A
RA
Boling
C
C
Housten-Harris
T
T
Wigley
F M
FM
D000328:Adult; D002196:Capillaries; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000098:blood supply*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000473:pathology*