Association of anticardiolipin antibodies and abnormal nailfold capillaroscopy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) are found in about 40-50% of patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their presence carries an increased risk of thromboembolism. Since there is a high prevalence of nailfold capillary abnormalities in patients with SLE, we studied the relationship between aCL and skin microcirculatory changes or vascular symptoms in 51 consecutive patients with SLE (49 women, 2 men, 34.8 ± 13.7 years).

Twenty-two patients (43.1 %) had positive aCL (IgG 22 (5-60) GPL; IgM 5 (3-16.5) MPL; median titre and range) and 12 (54.5%) of them had abnormal capilloscopic findings. By contrast, among the 29 patients without aCL, only six (20.7%) had an abnormal capillaroscopy (P = 0.027). There was no correlation between either aCL or capillaroscopy and Raynaud's phenomenon.

These results show a relationship between aCL and nailfold capillary changes in patients with SLE, suggesting a direct damage of the vascular endothelium by aCL.

Keywords

systemic lupus erythematosus capillaroscopy anticardiolipin antibodies

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