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Capillary dimension measured by computer-based digitalized image correlated with plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with systemic sclerosis

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Abstract

Endothelial and vascular damage are main leading disability in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Raynaud’s phenomenon is the early symptom that presents vascular damage. Nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) is an easily accessible diagnostic tool in secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon. Considering the endothelial damage, clinical manifestations, and plasma cytokines was compared with traditionally used NFC parameter for, which to observe the number of capillaries, deletions in 3 mm, apical limb width and the capillary width itself. We hypothesize that a computer-based NFC system can generate a new powerful parameter which predicts the capillary dimension. We investigated the relationship among the plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1), clinical manifestations and quantitative analysis of computerized NFC, and to assess the optimal method in SSc. The level of ET-1 in 60 SSc patients, 30 healthy, and 23 disease controls were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. We present a significant difference in all parameters of NFC between SSc patients and control groups. ET-1 level was increased in patients with SSc. In SSc group, capillary dimension and loss of capillaries were strongly associated with digital ulceration (p < 0.01) and pulmonary hypertension (p < 0.05). Capillary dimension and ET-1 level was in correlation with skin-hardening grade, and was higher in SSc patients with pulmonary hypertension or digital ulcer. Capillary dimension showed strong correlation with the endothelin-1 in SSc, healthy and disease control groups. (Rs = 0.31/p < 0.05, Rs = 0.82/p < 0.001, Rs = 0.83/p < 0.001). The results suggest that computer-based microscopic analysis of NFC is a useful method that potentially provides information on organ involvement and plasma ET-1. Capillary dimension maybe a powerful parameter possibly applicable in outpatient clinic for assessing SSc patients.

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Acknowledgement

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology(2009-0062891).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Chosun University of Korea, Gwangju, Korea

    Hyun-Sook Kim

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Kangnam St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong Seocho-ku, Seoul, 137-040, Korea

    Mi-Kyung Park, Ho-Youn Kim & Sung-Hwan Park

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  1. Hyun-Sook Kim
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  2. Mi-Kyung Park
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Correspondence to Sung-Hwan Park.

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Kim, HS., Park, MK., Kim, HY. et al. Capillary dimension measured by computer-based digitalized image correlated with plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with systemic sclerosis. Clin Rheumatol 29, 247–254 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1288-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1288-7

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