Ankle brachial pressure index in systemic sclerosis: influence of disease subtype and anticentromere antibody.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc) have a higher incidence of lower limb large vessel disease than patients with diffuse cutaneous disease, and that anticentromere antibody is a risk factor for lower limb large vessel disease.


METHODS
Clinical and laboratory data from 119 patients with SSc (91 patients with limited cutaneous disease, 28 patients with diffuse cutaneous disease) who had bilateral ankle brachial pressure indices (ABPI) measured between March 1997 and January 2000 were reviewed retrospectively.


RESULTS
There was no evidence of reduced ABPI in limited cutaneous disease (P=0.65), average reduction 0.01 [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.04 to +0.07]. There was some suggestion of reduced ABPI in anticentromere-positive patients (P=0.12), average reduction 0.04 (95% CI -0.01 to +0.09).


CONCLUSIONS
The severity of large vessel macrovascular disease, as assessed by ABPI, is not dependent on disease subtype. Anticentromere antibody may be weakly associated with a reduction in ABPI.
Wan
M C
MC
University of Manchester Rheumatic Diseases Centre, Hope Hospital, Salford M6 8HD, UK.
Moore
T
T
Hollis
S
S
Herrick
A L
AL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000842:Ankle / Q000098:blood supply*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D002503:Centromere / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies