Journal Article Epublish 1 citation
PubMed: 42550247 DOI: 10.1007/s00296-026-06261-7
Relation of nailfold capillaries and autoantibodies to mortality in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon: a retrospective analysis.
Rheumatol Int 46(8)
Authors: Markus Müller, Michael E Gschwandtner, Hans Kiener, Thomas Perkmann, Sonja Zehetmayer, Sophie Brunner-Ziegler, Sabine Steiner, Oliver Schlager
Affiliations
- Division of Angiology, Department of Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Division of Angiology, Department of Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Center for Medical Data Science, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Abstract
The presence of abnormal nailfold capillaries and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) is associated with increased all-cause mortality in patients presenting with incipient Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). We conducted a retrospective analysis aiming to assess the association between abnormal nailfold capillaries, ANA, and mortality over a 20-year follow-up period. In 2958 patients with incipient RP without previously known connective tissue disease, nailfold capillaroscopies and laboratory tests for ANA and ANA-subsets were obtained. Of these, long-term follow-up data were available for 2922 patients. Over a median follow-up period of 23 (IQR 20.2-25.2) years, 832 patients died, of which 562 were women (25% of female patients) and 270 were men (41% of male patients). Compared to a demographically matched reference population, mortality was increased in female and male patients with RP (log-rank test < 0.001). In female patients with RP, the presence of ANA, anti-Scl-70 antibodies, and a grouping variable consisting of giant capillaries, reduced capillary density, and avascular fields was associated with an increase in all-cause mortality. The highest mortality was observed in patients presenting both abnormal nailfold capillaries and ANA. In the long-term, an excess mortality persists in patients with RP. Our study demonstrates prognostic associations between abnormal nailfold capillaries as well as ANA and mortality.
MeSH
Autoantibodies, Rheumatology, Mortality, Capillaries, Antibodies