Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Microcirculation dynamics in systemic vasculitis: evidence of impaired microvascular response regardless of cardiovascular risk factors
Authors' conclusion
For the first time we have shown that patients with SVs exhibit impaired microvascular function and blunted reactivity after occlusion, as this was demonstrated by the LSCI technique.
Study context
- Population
- Selected patients with systemic vasculitides without cardiovascular (CV) disease, and matched controls
- Participants
- 60 patients
- Comparison
- Patients with systemic vasculitides (SVs) without CV disease vs matched controls
- SVsn = 30
- Controlsn = 30reference
- Outcome
- Skin microcirculation dynamics by laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) and vascular reactivity by the post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH) protocol
Methodological detailscontrols matched for age, sex, BMI and smoking status
- Controls matched for age, sex, BMI and smoking status
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Peak magnitude during reperfusion phase lower in SVs vs controls (median [IQR], laser speckle perfusion units; values printed in the order shown)
207 [60.1] vs 143.7 [41.0]
P < 0.001
Percentage cutaneous vascular conductance increase lower in SVs vs controls (mean (SD); values printed in the order shown)
190.0 [49.6]% vs 149.6 [48.9]%
P = 0.002
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Correlation of microvascular damage with disease duration
- Peak magnitude during reperfusion vs disease duration
- r = −0.563, P < 0.001
- Percentage cutaneous vascular conductance increase vs disease duration
- r = 0.442, P < 0.001
Original publication
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