Cited 7 times since 2011 (0.6 per year) source: EuropePMC The Journal of rheumatology, Volume 39, Issue 1, 15 3 2011, Pages 100-105 Pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis is associated with profound impairment of microvascular endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. Hofstee HM, Voskuyl AE, Vonk Noordegraaf A, Smulders YM, Postmus PE, Dijkmans BA, Serné EH
Objective
Impaired microvascular function may contribute to organ complications in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). We investigated whether SSc patients with and without pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) show a graded impairment of microvascular function compared to healthy controls.
Methods
Twenty-two patients with SSc and 22 controls were studied. All patients underwent right heart catheterization; 6 had no PAH (SSc-nonPAH) and 16 had PAH (SSc-PAH). Acetylcholine (ACh)-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-mediated endothelium-independent vasodilatation were assessed by iontophoresis combined with laser Doppler flowmetry.
Results
Compared to sex- and age-matched controls, ACh-mediated vasodilatation was reduced in SSc-PAH (340.4% vs 79.5%, respectively; p < 0.01), but not in SSc-nonPAH (340.4% vs 397.9%; p = 0.90). No significant differences were present between the groups in SNP-mediated vasodilatation.
Conclusion
Systemic microvascular endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is markedly reduced in SSc complicated by PAH.
