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Pulmonary hypertension in Spanish patients with systemic sclerosis. Data from the RESCLE registry

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Abstract

Introduction

Our objective was to evaluate the pulmonary hypertension (PH) data for Spanish patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), define the PH types and determine the associated factors.

Method

Descriptive study of PH-related data from the multicentre RESCLE registry. Estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (esPAP), measured via echocardiogram was considered elevated if ≥ 35 mmHg. Left heart disease (LHD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) were identified. When performed, data from right heart catheterisation (RHC) were collected.

Results

esPAP was elevated in 350 of 808 patients (43.3%). One hundred and forty-four patients (17.8%) were considered to have PH (88 via RHC and the rest due to elevated esPAP along with evidence of significant LHD or ILD): PAH 3.7%, secondary to ILD 8.3%, secondary to LHD 2.8% and unclassified 3%. Prevalence of elevated esPAP was greater in diffuse SSc (dSSc) than in limited scleroderma (lSSc) (50.5 vs. 42.2%, p 0.046). In the group with elevated esPAP, a lower prevalence of anti-centromere antibodies (41.9% vs. 52.3%, p 0.006) and a greater prevalence of anti-topoisomerase-1 antibodies (ATA) (25.1% vs. 18.6%, p 0.04) were observed compared to the group with normal esPAP. Patients with elevated esPAP had a lower rate of digital ulcers (50.6% vs. 60.2%, p 0.007) and esophageal involvement (83.6% vs. 88.7%, p 0.07) and higher rate of renal crisis (4.6% vs. 1.8%, p 0.066).

Conclusions

Prevalence of PAH was lower than expected (3.7%). Probability of having elevated esPAP was higher among patients with dSSc and among those with ATA.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge all investigators who form part of the RESCLE registry. This project was possible thanks to an educational unrestricted scholarship granted by Laboratorios Actelion. We also thank the RESCLE Registry Coordinating Center, S&H Medical Science Service, for their quality control data, logistic and administrative support, and Prof. Salvador Ortiz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Statistical Advisor S&H Medical Science Service, for the statistical analysis of the data presented in this paper.

RESCLE Registry members: Argibay A, Boldova R, Callejas Moraga E, Carbonell C, Castillo MJ, Chamorro AJ, Colunga D, Espinosa G, Estévez M, Fernández de la Puebla RA, Fonollosa V, Freire M, García Hernández F, Guillén del Castillo A, Iniesta N, Madroñero AB, Ortego-Centeno N, Perales I, Pestaña M, Pla Salas X, Pons Martín del Campo I, Rodero Roldán MM, Rodríguez Carballeira M, Rubio Rivas M, Ruiz Muñoz M, Segovia P, Simeón CP, Tarí EV, Todolí JA, Tolosa C, Trapiella L, Vargas Hitos JA, Villalba N

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Correspondence to Francisco J. García-Hernández.

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García-Hernández, F.J., Castillo-Palma, M.J., Tolosa-Vilella, C. et al. Pulmonary hypertension in Spanish patients with systemic sclerosis. Data from the RESCLE registry. Clin Rheumatol 38, 1117–1124 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-018-4390-x

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