Cor Vasa 2011, 53(11):619-622 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2011.156

Capillaroscopy and autoantibodies in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon

Ivo Hofírek^1,*, Dana Bartoňková², Robert Prosecký¹, Stanislav Šárník¹

¹ I. interní kardioangiologická klinika, ICRC, FN u sv. Anny, Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity, Brno

² Ústav klinické imunologie a alergologie, FN u sv. Anny, Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity, Brno, Česká republika

Aim: The aim of this study was to obtain a pilot prospective evaluation of capillaroscopic findings in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and of their putative association with basic immunological parameters.

Methods: Fifty-one patients (37 females, 14 males) with peripheral blood supply disorders corresponding to the Raynaud's phenomenon and with disease manifestations lasting up to 48 months were examined in 2010. Besides standard vascular examination, the patients also underwent capillaroscopy using Leica S6D device. Three stages of capillaroscopic findings were defined, from normal to marked pathology. Vascular and capillaroscopic examinations were followed by autoantibody assays.

Results: Using linear regression analysis, we demonstrated a positive association between the stage of capillaroscopic findings and the probability of autoantibody presence (p = 0.023). No association with the type of autoantibodies was documented. We were also not able to demonstrate an association between capillaroscopic findings, age of the patients and duration of the Raynaud's phenomenon.

Conclusion: An association between capillaroscopic findings and the probability of autoantibody presence was shown in a pilot population of patients with Raynaud's phenomenon. Capillaroscopy is suitable for patients with vascular neuroses and can be helpful when deciding which patients should undergo autoantibody testing.

Keywords: Raynaud's phenomenon; Capillaroscopy; Autoantibodies; Vascular neurosis

Published: November 1, 2011  Show citation