title: Nailfold capillaroscopy for prediction of novel future severe organ involvement in systemic sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of associations of nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) scleroderma (systemic sclerosis; SSc) ("early," "active," and "late") with novel future severe clinical involvement in 2 independent cohorts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six consecutive Belgian and 82 Italian patients with SSc underwent NVC at baseline. Images were blindly assessed and classified into normal, early, active, or late NVC pattern. Clinical evaluation was performed for 9 organ systems (general, peripheral vascular, skin, joint, muscle, gastrointestinal tract, lung, heart, and kidney) according to the Medsger disease severity scale (DSS) at baseline and in the future (18-24 months of followup). Severe clinical involvement was defined as category 2 to 4 per organ of the DSS. Logistic regression analysis (continuous NVC predictor variable) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OR to develop novel future severe organ involvement was stronger according to more severe NVC patterns and similar in both cohorts. In simple logistic regression analysis the OR in the Belgian/Italian cohort was 2.16 (95% CI 1.19-4.47, p = 0.010)/2.33 (95% CI 1.36-4.22, p = 0.002) for the early NVC SSc pattern, 4.68/5.42 for the active pattern, and 10.14/12.63 for the late pattern versus the normal pattern. In multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for disease duration, subset, and vasoactive medication, the OR was 2.99 (95% CI 1.31-8.82, p = 0.007)/1.88 (95% CI 1.00-3.71, p = 0.050) for the early NVC SSc pattern, 8.93/3.54 for the active pattern, and 26.69/6.66 for the late pattern versus the normal pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Capillaroscopy may be predictive of novel future severe organ involvement in SSc, as attested by 2 independent cohorts.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialities, University Sapienza, Rome; Research Laboratory and Academic Unit of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine, Biostatistics Unit, Department of Public Health, Ghent University, and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Riccieri
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pizzorni
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Decuman
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deschepper
authors.forename: Carolien
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonroy
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sulli
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Piette
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Keyser
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cutolo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D020678:Microscopic Angioscopy / Q000379:methods*; D018715:Microscopy, Video / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000098:blood supply*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: DISEASE SEVERITY MEDSGER SCALE; NAILFOLD VIDEOCAPILLAROSCOPY; ORGAN INVOLVEMENT; PREDICTION; SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS