title: The Application of Fluorescence Optical Imaging in Systemic Sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to visualize soft tissue inflammation using FOI on patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) characterized by SSc-related Raynaud's phenomenon and to detect the therapeutic response to treatment with iloprost or alprostadil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients with SSc and Raynaud's phenomenon and twenty-six healthy controls were prospectively included. The SSc patients were intravenously treated with iloprost or alprostadil over seven days. FOI was performed at baseline and after seven days using an intravenous application of indocyanine green (ICG). The hands were divided into nineteen segments per hand. All segments were quantitatively evaluated to determine changes in ICG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity of FOI in the detection of ICG enhancement in patients with SSc were 95% versus 96%. At baseline, 31.5% hand segments showed ICG enhancement. After seven days of either iloprost or alprostadil therapy a significant reduction in the ICG was observed which ranged from 40.9% to 24.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrates that the FOI technique is able to visualize soft-tissue inflammation with both high sensitivity and specificity. The anti-inflammatory therapeutic effects of iloprost were slightly stronger than alprostadil. FOI offers promising benefits in the diagnosis and therapy of patients with SSc-associated Raynaud's phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pfeil
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Drummer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, SRH Wald-Klinikum Gera, Straße des Friedens 122, 07548 Gera, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Böttcher
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oelzner
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Heinrich Braun Clinic Zwickau, Karl-Keil-Straße 35, 08060 Zwickau, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hansch
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000527:Alprostadil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D016285:Iloprost / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007208:Indocyanine Green / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000527:Alprostadil; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D016285:Iloprost