Table 2.

Selected articles.

Article	Study Methods	Exclusion Criteria	Capillaroscopic Strategy and Methods	Capillaroscopy Findings
Microvascular capillaroscopic abnormalities and occurrence of antinuclear autoantibodies in patients with sarcoidosis. [45]	Files from an NVC database were extracted for 26 histologically diagnosed sarcoidosis and 30 PRP patients, age- and sex-matched. 30 HCs mainly recruited among health professionals willing to participate to the study. NVC figures, detailed analysis and scores, baseline performance, complete medical history and laboratory findings of all enrolled patients were achieved from patient file.	<18 years old, active smokers, underlying malignancies, systemic untreated infections (i.e., HBV, HCV and HIV), overlapping CTD, diabetes, severe uncontrolled systemic hypertension and peripheral atherosclerotic diseases. Other overlapping autoimmune diseases which could have biased the results of the immunological profile (ANA and ENA).	NVC was performed using a 200× magnification optical probe connected to an image analysis software (DS Medica Srl Videocap ©, Ver 10.00.13, Milan, Italy), evaluation by the same physician, blinded to the patient’s clinical history. Waited for a minimum of 15 min in a room at a temperature range of 20–22 °C before NVC. Two digital pictures of two-millimetre area in the middle of the nailfold bed of eight fingers, thumbs excluded, collected for each subject. Capillary density calculated with the same standardized methodology, considering all the 16 images collected for each subject.	Giant capillaries were not reported in any group. SA patients displayed a significantly higher rate of capillary dilations than HC (p for trend = 0.046). Mean lower capillary number for mm in comparison with both PRP and HC (p < 0.001). SA had higher percentage of abnormal shapes than both PRP patients (p < 0.001) and HC (p = 0.003). Microhemorrhages frequency showed no statistically significant difference through a direct comparison of the three subgroups, but a trend of increase in the percentage of microhemorrhages in SA patients > PRP patient > HC NVC parameters did not significantly change when stratifying patients according to previous treatment.
Microvascular damage evaluation based on nailfold video-capillaroscopy in sarcoidosis. [46]	42 biopsy proven sarcoidosis patients and 42 age- and sex-matched patients with SSc and healthy individuals underwent NVC	Interstitial lung disease other than sarcoidosis and systemic sclerosis, primary Raynaud’s phenomenon, obesity (BMI ≥ 30), diabetes mellitus, heart failure, coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, oxygen saturation < 92 on room air, pregnancy, malignancy, haematological diseases.	NVC with digital microscope (Dino-Lite CapillaryScope 200, MEDL4N PRO, Almere, Netherlands) and software program (DinoCapture v2.0 software from AnMo Electronics Corp.) The same, blinded to the study groups certified investigator. Not smoked in the last half hour set down in a room with a temperature of 22–25 C° for at least 15 min before NVC. ×200 magnification NVC technique. The second-Fifth fingers of both hands were evaluated.	Median capillary density similar in SA and HC groups, lower in patients with SSc compared to other groups (p < 0.001). In patients with SA and elongated capillary ratio, rate of tortuosity and crossing capillaries of 50% and above statistically significantly higher than patients with SSc and HC. Hemorrhage, dilated capillary, avascular area, and neoangiogenesis higher in patients with SSc compared to other groups (p < 0.05).

Legend. PRP: primary Raynaud’s phenomenon, HC: healthy control.