Nailfold capillaroscopy and candidate-biomarker levels in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary hypertension: A cross-sectional study

Jacqueline Lemmers, Arjan van Caam, Brigit E. Kersten, Cornelia van den Ende, Hanneke Knaapen, Arie van Dijk, Wanda Hagmolen of Ten Have, Frank van den Hoogen, Hans J P M Koenen, Sander van Leuven, Wynand Alkema, Ruben L Smeets, Madelon C. Vonk

Onderzoeksoutput: ArticleAcademicpeer review

Samenvatting

Objectives: Pulmonary hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in systemic sclerosis. Early detection and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis is crucial. Nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy, vascular autoantibodies AT1R and ETAR, and several candidate-biomarkers have the potential to serve as noninvasive tools to identify systemic sclerosis patients at risk for developing pulmonary hypertension. Here, we explore the classifying potential of nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics and serum levels of selected candidate-biomarkers in a sample of systemic sclerosis patients with and without different forms of pulmonary hypertension.

Methods: A total of 81 consecutive systemic sclerosis patients were included, 40 with systemic sclerosis pulmonary hypertension and 41 with no pulmonary hypertension. In each group, quantitative and qualitative nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics, vascular autoantibodies AT1R and ETAR, and serum levels of 24 soluble serum factors were determined. For evaluation of the nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics, linear regression analysis accounting for age, sex, and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide percentage predicted was used. Autoantibodies and soluble serum factor levels were compared using two-sample t test with equal variances.

Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in quantitative or qualitative nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics, or vascular autoantibody ETAR and AT1R titer between systemic sclerosis-pulmonary hypertension and systemic sclerosis-no pulmonary hypertension. In contrast, several serum levels of soluble factors differed between groups: Endostatin, sVCAM, and VEGFD were increased, and CXCL4, sVEGFR2, and PDGF-AB/BB were decreased in systemic sclerosis-pulmonary hypertension. Random forest classification identified Endostatin and CXCL4 as the most predictive classifiers to distinguish systemic sclerosispulmonary hypertension from systemic sclerosis-no pulmonary hypertension.

Conclusion: This study shows the potential for several soluble serum factors to distinguish systemic sclerosis-pulmonary hypertension from systemic sclerosis-no pulmonary hypertension. We found no classifying potential for qualitative or quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics, or vascular autoantibodies.
Originele taal-2English
Artikelnummer3
Pagina's (van-tot)221-230
Aantal pagina's9
TijdschriftJournal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders
Volume8
Nummer van het tijdschrift3
DOI's
StatusE-pub ahead of print - 22 mei 2023

Keywords

  • capillaroscopie van de nagelplooi
  • kandidaat-biomarkers
  • pulmonale arteriële hypertensie
  • systemische sclerose

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