Association between nailfold capillaroscopy findings and pulmonary function tests in patients with systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there is an association between different capillaroscopic findings and pulmonary function tests in systemic sclerosis (SSc).


METHODS
We did a retrospective observational study in a cohort of patients with SSc and early SSc. Patients with at least 1 nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) magnified 120× were included. Pathological findings were giant capillaries, angiogenesis, and density loss. Findings were compared with lung function values: percent expected value of forced vital capacity (FVC), DLCO, and FVC/DLCO ratio. Other variables collected were sex and SSc type, and the presence of digital ulcers (DU), interstitial lung disease (ILD), scleroderma renal crisis, and/or pulmonary hypertension (PH).


RESULTS
Of 136 patients with SSc, 85 had undergone an NVC. The frequency of ILD, DU, and PH was 24.1%, 28.7%, and 17.2%, respectively. Data analysis showed that patients with density loss had worse FVC% (86.91 ± 19.42 vs 101.13 ± 16.06, p < 0.01) and DLCO% (71.43 ± 21.19 vs 85.9 ± 19.81, p < 0.01) compared to those without.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with loss of density present worse FVC and DLCO values. Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether NVC is useful for studying pulmonary function in SSc.
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. icastellvi@santpau.cat.
Ivan
I
Castellví
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Carmen Pilar
CP
Simeón-Aznar
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Mónica
M
Sarmiento
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Ana
A
Fortuna
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Mercedes
M
Mayos
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Carme
C
Geli
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
César
C
Diaz-Torné
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Patricia
P
Moya
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Josep Maria
JM
De Llobet
From the Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.I. Castellví, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; C.P. Simeón-Aznar, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Valle Hebrón; M. Sarmiento, MD; C. Geli, MD; C. Diaz-Torné, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; P. Moya, MD;J.M. De Llobet, MD, Unit of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; A. Fortuna, MD; M. Mayos, MD, Department of Pneumology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; J. Casademont, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.
Jordi
J
Casademont
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D020678:Microscopic Angioscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000098:blood supply*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000503:physiopathology*
CAPILLAROSCOPY; NAILFOLD VIDEOCAPILLAROSCOPY; PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS; SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS