|
| Measurement | Systemic sclerosis patients () | Healthy controls () | |
|
| Carotid artery wall assessment | | | |
| (IMT/CCA) 100 mean of right and left CCA | 9.34 (3.81–12.99) | 9.56 (6.90–49.53) | 0.141 |
| Stiffness of carotid arteries (mean of right and left) | 3.80 (SD 1.67) | 3.75 (SD 1.47) | 0.882 |
| Arterial stiffness and wave reflection measurements | | | |
| Mean blood pressure, mmHg | 93.98 (SD 12.81) | 96.60 (SD 7.93) | 0.237 |
| Pulse wave velocity (carotid femoral), m/sec | 7.53 (SD 1.70) | 7.51 (SD 1.30) | 0.962 |
| Pulse wave velocity (carotid radial), m/sec | 8.96 (SD 1.60) | 8.61 (SD 1.19) | 0.227 |
| Augmentation index (adj. for 75 heart rate) | 26.02 (SD 12.08) | 24.89 (SD 9.66) | 0.618 |
| Laser Doppler measurements of capillary flow | | | |
| Postocclusive hyperaemia | | | |
| Rest flow median before occlusion, PU (min–max) | 29.51 (8.00–225.74) | 32.66 (8.5–171.99) | 0.308 |
| Time to peak hyperaemia, sec | 00:34.410 (00:13.860–04:55.930) | 00:33.755 (00:05.860–05:37.710) | 0.121 |
| Percentage change median between rest and peak flow (min–max) | 346.71 (7.10–2.344.74) | 383.46 (0.83–909.67) | 0.546 |
| Thermal response | | | |
| Rest flow median before heating, PU, (min–max) | 27.71 (0.81–114.02) | 46.53 (4.66–388.74) | 0.008 |
| Maximal flow in response to heating, PU | 217.01 (SD 150.05) | 354.95 (SD 144.41) | <0.001 |
| Time to maximal flow | 00:23:47 (00:17:59–00:28:35) | 00:22:31 (00:16:31–00:28:01) | 0.097 |
| Cold stimulation | | | |
| Rest flow median before cooling, PU, (min–max) | 84.94 (4.49–388.18) | 165.10 (10.67–635.23) | 0.178 |
| Minimal flow in response to cooling, PU, (min–max) | 11.00 (−0.10–196.10) | 72.40 (2.10–435.90) | 0.002 |
| Time to minimal flow | 00:07:09 (00:05:52–00:09:44) | 00:06:29 (00:05:04–00:09:58) | 0.052 |
| Ultrasound assessment of endothelial function in brachial artery | | | |
| Flow mediated dilatation, percentage change | 3.24 (SD 2.19) | 3.83 (SD 2.48) | 0.227 |
| Peripheral arterial tonometry | | | |
| Reactive hyperaemia index | 1.50 (SD 0.53) | 2.00 (SD 0.52) | <0.001 |
| Skin autofluorescence | | | |
| Autofluorescence index | 2.23 (SD 0.54) | 1.90 (SD 0.47) | 0.007 |
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