Correlations between Hand Ultrasonography Changes and Autoantibody Profile in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

Abstract

Mazur Anna, Walecka Irena, Wislowska Malgorzata and Kubera Lukasz

Aim: To assess hand ultrasonography changes in systemic sclerosis (Ssc) patients and find a potential correlation of autoantibody profile

Materials and method: 59 SSc patients, 40.7% dsSSc, 59.3% lcSSc, were hands US examinations, laboratory test, ESR, CRP, anti-Scl70, ACA, anti-RNAP III antibodies, anti-CCP, RF.

Results: Sclerosing tenosynovitis occured significantly more frequently in dcSSc patients than in lcSSC: in 4 out of 24 (16.7%) with dcSSc vs none (0%) out of 35 with lcSSc (p=0.0233). Anti-Scl70-positive patients increase ESR and CRP was observed – 61.5% (p=0.0014) and 29.0% (p=0.0420) respectively. Swelling in the hands soft tissue in 7 (21.9%) out of 32 anti-Scl70-positive patients vs 1 (13.7%) out of 27 anti-Scl70-negative (p=0.06) were observed. Sclerosing tenosynovitis occured only in anti-Scl70-positive patients. Inflammatory tenosynovitis occured statistically significantly often in males (in 3 (33.3%) out of 9) than in females (in 1 (2%) out of 50) (p=0.0095). It was observed that synositis, inflammatory and sclerosing tenosynovitis, severe inflammation in the hands soft tissue US examination occured statistically significantly often in patients with dsSSc (p=0.0006) as well as positive anti-Scl70 (p<0.0001), and significantly less than in ACA-positive. Synovitis occured in 20 (33.9%) out of 59 patients with Ssc. No patient was found to be anti-CCP antibody positive.

Conclusion: The hand ultrasonography features correlate with the clinical picture of SSc as well as the antibody profile, hand US may be used as a tool to assess the disease activity, as well as a predictive factor during the course of the disease

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