Capillaroscopic abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus and its association with clinical manifestation

Introduction: Capillaroscopy is a non-invasive tool used to evaluate microcirculation and determine whether a Raynaud's phenomenon is primary or secondary. Capillaroscopic changes are well-described in systemic sclerosis; however, these alterations have been less studied in other autoimmune diseases. Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine videocapillaroscopic alterations in lupus, and its association with clinical manifestations. Methodology and methods: A cross-sectional study with analytical intention was performed. Videocapillaroscopy and medical evaluations were performed on 76 patients with lupus, according to SLICC 2012 classificatory criteria, from January to June 2019. Chi², Fisher, and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to evaluate association, and the prevalence ratios (PR) were determined. A multivariate analysis was performed. Results: Seventy-one (93.4%) of the patients were female with a median age of 33.5 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 27–44.8); the median lupus duration was 84 months (IQR: 30–168). The main clinical manifestations were articular, cutaneous, hematological, and Raynaud's phenomenon. A non-specific pattern was found in 43 patients (56.6%), and a systemic sclerosis-like pattern was found in 7 patients (9.2%). In bivariate and multivariate analyses, Raynaud episodes occurring more than once a week (PR 1.24; 95% CI: 1.13–1.33) were more frequent in patients with a sclerosis-like or a non-specific pattern. Conclusions: Lupus patients frequently have videocapillaroscopic alterations with non-specific and systemic sclerosis like patterns, which are more common in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon that occurs more than once a week. Due to the study's design, it is impossible to determine causality.