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Significance of serum uric acid in pulmonary hypertension due to systemic sclerosis: a pilot study

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Abstract

Systemic sclerosis is a connective tissue disease, which may lead to elevated pulmonary arterial pressure due to pulmonary arterial hypertension and/or left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Uric acid (UA) has been shown to be elevated in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart failure. We aimed to investigate the potent relationship between serum UA and pulmonary pressure as well as functional capacity in patients with SSc. We studied 66 patients (mean age 57.7 ± 12.1 years, 63 women), presenting with SSc. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure assessed by echocardiography, lung function tests, six-minute walk test (6MWT) and serum UA levels were recorded in all patients. In 24 (36%) patients, the diagnosis of PH was established by echocardiography (systolic pulmonary artery pressure ≥40 mmHg). Patients with PH had higher UA serum levels compared to patients without PH (5.1 ± 2.1 mg/dl vs. 4.2 ± 0.9 mg/dl, p = 0.04). Among patients with PH, UA values were inversely correlated with the SMWT distance (r = −0.51, p = 0.01). Serum UA values increased in proportion to the functional capacity in PH patients with scleroderma. Further investigations in prospective studies will unfold in detail the pathophysiological significance of UA in SSc patients with PH and determine its role as a prognostic marker in the assessment and monitoring of the disease.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Giannakoulas has received funding from the Hellenic Atherosclerosis Society.

Conflict of interest

The authors have to declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Stilp. Kiriakidi 1, 54637, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Theodoros Dimitroulas, Tilemahos Sfetsios & Loukas Settas

  2. Cardiology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Georgios Giannakoulas, Hariklia Dimitroula, Despina Parcharidou & Haralambos Karvounis

Authors
  1. Theodoros Dimitroulas
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  2. Georgios Giannakoulas
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  3. Hariklia Dimitroula
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  4. Tilemahos Sfetsios
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  5. Despina Parcharidou
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  6. Haralambos Karvounis
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  7. Loukas Settas
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Correspondence to Theodoros Dimitroulas.

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Dimitroulas, T., Giannakoulas, G., Dimitroula, H. et al. Significance of serum uric acid in pulmonary hypertension due to systemic sclerosis: a pilot study. Rheumatol Int 31, 263–267 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-010-1557-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-010-1557-4

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