Biomaterial Database

Nailfold capillary microscopy in mixed connective tissue disease. Comparison with systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. 1986

F Granier, and M Vayssairat, and P Priollet, and E Housset

Nailfold capillary microscopy patterns in 22 patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) were compared with those of 21 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 30 patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma [SD]). Microvascular data were classified blindly as follows: normal, nonspecific abnormalities, SD pattern, and SLE pattern, with special attention to the presence of dystrophic, branched "bushy" capillary formations. Of the 22 patients with MCTD, 63.6% had an SD pattern, 22.7% had an SLE pattern, 13.6% had nonspecific abnormalities, and 72.7% had bushy capillary formations. Compared with SLE microangiopathy, MCTD microangiopathy exhibited significantly greater capillary loss (P less than 0.05), more frequent SD patterns (P less than 0.001), and more frequent bushy capillaries (P less than 0.001). Compared with SD patients, MCTD patients displayed less frequent SD patterns (P less than 0.02) and more frequent bushy capillary formations (P less than 0.01). The presence of bushy capillaries was suggestive of MCTD. For diagnostic purposes, bushy capillaries displayed 72% sensitivity, 80% specificity, and 87.2% negative predictive value. The quantitative and qualitative expressions of microangiopathy were different in MCTD and SLE, respectively. This supports the hypothesis that each disease is a distinct entity. Nevertheless, there were many resemblances between MCTD and SD, which implies that MCTD is possibly a clinical form of SD.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008180	Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic	A chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, and often febrile multisystemic disorder of connective tissue, characterized principally by involvement of the skin, joints, kidneys, and serosal membranes. It is of unknown etiology, but is thought to represent a failure of the regulatory mechanisms of the autoimmune system. The disease is marked by a wide range of system dysfunctions, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the formation of LE cells in the blood or bone marrow.	Libman-Sacks Disease,Lupus Erythematosus Disseminatus,Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,Disease, Libman-Sacks,Libman Sacks Disease
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D008947	Mixed Connective Tissue Disease	A syndrome with overlapping clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polymyositis, and Raynaud's phenomenon. The disease is differentially characterized by high serum titers of antibodies to ribonuclease-sensitive extractable (saline soluble) nuclear antigen and a "speckled" epidermal nuclear staining pattern on direct immunofluorescence.	Connective Tissue Disease, Mixed,Sharp Syndrome,MCTD,Syndrome, Sharp
D009262	Nails	The thin, horny plates that cover the dorsal surfaces of the distal phalanges of the fingers and toes of primates.	Fingernails,Toenails,Fingernail,Nail,Toenail
D010784	Photomicrography	Photography of objects viewed under a microscope using ordinary photographic methods.	Photomicrographies
D011446	Prospective Studies	Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.	Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D002196	Capillaries	The minute vessels that connect arterioles and venules.	Capillary Beds,Sinusoidal Beds,Sinusoids,Bed, Sinusoidal,Beds, Sinusoidal,Capillary,Capillary Bed,Sinusoid,Sinusoidal Bed
D005260	Female		Females
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup