Determination of fingertip lacticemy before and after cold stimulus in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
Establishing a cold stimulus test based on the measurement of finger tip lacticemy (FTL) in Raynaud's phenomenon (RP).


METHODS
Twenty-seven controls and 79 patients with RP [30 systemic sclerosis (SSc) and 49 isolated RP] were studied. The latter were further classified into probable primary RP (PPRP) and probable secondary RP (PSRP). FTL was determined before (pre-CS) and after (post-CS) a cold stimulus and the percentage difference was designated ACS-FTL.


RESULTS
Pre-CS-FTL was marginally higher in SSc patients than in isolated RP and controls. Post-CS-FFL was significantly higher in SSc and PSRP than in PPRP and controls. SSc and PSRP patients had higher post-CS-FTL than pre-CS-FTL (positive ACS-FTL) while controls presented a negative ACS-FTL. Post-CS-FTL had a heterogeneous behavior in patients with PPRP.


CONCLUSIONS
CS-FTL test was shown to be an easy method for evaluation of fingertip effective perfusion before and after a cold stimulus. Further studies are warranted to test its possible clinical application in discriminating between patients with SSc and controls, as well as between patients with PPRP and PSRP.
Pucinelli
Mario L C
ML
Fontenelle
Sheila
S
Andrade
Luís E C
LE
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012016:Reference Values; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D019344:Lactic Acid