Search

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is an episodic peripheral circulatory disorder characterized by local artery spams in subjects exposed to cold or emotional stress. It is not well-established whether RP patients show an altered rheological profile, mostly due to patient classification and clinical severity. We aimed to compare the hemorheological profile in patients with primary and secondary RP with a healthy control group. Eighteen primary RP, 22 secondary RP and 22 healthy controls, were included in the study. RP patients were also divided according to the presence of digital ulcers (7 with, 33 without). Biochemical and hemorheological variables were analyzed, including glucose, triglycerides, total-cholesterol, immunoglobulins, fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation, erythrocyte deformability and blood viscosity. Age was higher in secondary RP as compared with primary (p = 0.049), while glucose, triglycerides IgA, IgG and plasma viscosity were higher in secondary RP than in healthy subjects (p < 0.05). RP patients with digital ulcers presented higher IgA (p = 0.012), lower erythrocyte aggregation time (p = 0.008) and a trend for higher fibrinogen levels and plasma viscosity (p = 0.064, p = 0.069, respectively). The results of the present study indicate that secondary RP patients show a mild impairment of the rheological profile that aggravates with microangiopathy severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheological blood behavior in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) has been scarcely investigated. We evaluated the rheological profile (blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte deformability, erythrocyte aggregation, erythrocyte aggregation time and erythrocyte disaggregation threshold) along with fibrinogen, high-sensitive C reactive protein, plasma lipids, immunoglobulins, total proteins and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 22 patients with primary SS (2 males, 20 females, aged 58±9 years) and in 22 healthy volunteers (3 males, 19 females, aged 57±5 years). Patients showed statistically higher plasma viscosity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and G immunoglobulin (IgG) levels and lower total cholesterol than controls (p = 0.006, p = 0.023, p = 0.034, p = 0.036, respectively). Three patients with extraglandular involvement showed the highest plasma viscosity values: 1.98 cP, 1.70 cP and 1.65 cP, respectively. No differences were observed for the other rheological parameters analyzed. In a multivariate regression analysis, only fibrinogen, triglycerides and IgG were independent determinants for plasma viscosity values (beta coefficient: 0.335; p = 0.001; beta coefficient: 0.242; p = 0.019; beta coefficient: 0.660; p < 0.001, respectively). Our results indicate that patients with primary SS show increased plasma viscosity, mostly related with IgG levels without other alterations in the rheological profile. Further research with a larger sample size achieved by multicenter studies would be desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterised by increased venous and arterial thrombotic risk. Although antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs) have been shown to be related with thrombotic tendency in these patients, in more than 40% of them, thrombosis occurs without the presence of such antibodies. We analysed the association of venous and arterial thrombotic events with acquired (anticardiolipin antibodies (ACAs) and lupus anticoagulant (LA)) and inherited (antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC), protein S (PS) deficiencies, factor V Leiden and the prothrombin G20210A mutation), thrombophilic risk factors in 86 SLE patients and 89 healthy controls. Patients showed a higher significant percentage of ACAs titres IgG>41 GPL u/ml and LA than controls (P=0.009; P<0.001, respectively), although no differences in AT, PC, PS deficiencies, factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A mutation was observed (P>0.05). When patients with and without thrombosis were compared, those with thrombosis showed a statistically higher percentage of ACAs IgG>41 GPL u/ml and LA (P=0.048; P=0.001, respectively), OR 4.33; 95% CI 1.01–18.50 and OR 11.57; 95% CI 3.28–40.75, respectively. When venous and arterial thrombotic events were considered separately, the presence of LA constituted a risk factor for arterial thrombosis (P=0.010), OR 11.33; 95% CI 1.86–68.89, as well as for venous thrombosis (P=0.005), OR 10.15; 95% CI 2.12–48.64, while ACAs IgG>41 GPL u/ml on their own, were not associated with arterial or venous thrombosis (P=0.142, P=0.233, respectively). In addition inherited thrombophilic risk factors AT, PC, PS deficiencies, factor V Leiden and PT G20210A mutation do not seem to increase thrombotic risk in SLE patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]