Table 1.
Characteristics of each SSc patient group
| non-PH (n = 13) | exercise PH (N = 22) | PH (N = 15) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient characteristics | ||||
| Age (years) | 61.5 ± 9.9 | 69.4 ± 10.9 | 71.3 ± 7.0 | 0.01 |
| Sex (female) | 11 (84.6%) | 21 (95.5%) | 12 (80.0%) | 0.30 |
| Time since the appearance of Raynaud’s syndrome (months) | 106.8 ± 121.2 | 159.4 ± 159.2 | 131.0 ± 106.9 | 0.43 |
| WHO FC (I / II / III/ IV) | 10 (76.9%) / 3 (23.1%) / 0 (0%) / 0 (0%) | 12 (54.6%) / 10 (45.4%) / 0 (0%) / 0 (0%) | 1 (6.7%) / 5 (33.3%) / 8 (53.3%) / 1 (6.7%) | < 0.0001 |
| Interstitial lung disease present | 8 (61.5%) | 8 (36.4%) | 10 (66.7%) | 0.13 |
| Autoantibodies | ||||
| Anti-centromere antibodies | 6 (46.2%) | 11 (50.0%) | 10 (66.7%) | 0.48 |
| Anti Scl-70 antibodies | 3 (23.1%) | 4 (18.2%) | 3 (20.0%) | 0.94 |
| Anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | - |
| Anti-U1-RNP antibodies | 1 (7.7%) | 1 (4.6%) | 1 (6.7%) | 0.92 |
| Anti-SS-A antibodies | 1 (7.7%) | 8 (36.4%) | 4 (26.7%) | 0.13 |
Values are reported as mean ± SD or as number (%). Statistical differences were determined using the Kruskal–Wallis, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Fisher’s exact tests. P < 0.05 was considered significant
SSc, systemic sclerosis; PH, pulmonary hypertension; exercise PH, exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension; WHO FC, World Health Organization Functional Class; Scl-70, scleroderma-70; RNA polymerase III, ribonucleic acid polymerase III; U1-RNP, U1-ribonucleoprotein; SS-A, Sjögren’s-syndrome-related antigen A