Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on November 23, 2004
Rheumatology 2005 44(3):366-371; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keh486
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Rheumatology Vol. 44 No. 3 © British Society for Rheumatology 2004; all rights reserved
Screening for pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis: the longitudinal development of tricuspid gradient in 227 consecutive patients, 1992–2001
Department of Rheumatology, 1 Department of Cardiology and 2 Department of Clinical Chemistry, Lund University Hospital, Lund and 3 Department of Neurochemistry and Psychiatry, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
Correspondence to: R. Hesselstrand, Department of Rheumatology, Lund University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden. E-mail: roger.hesselstrand{at}skane.se
Objective. To evaluate the longitudinal development of the tricuspid gradient (TG) for screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Methods. Doppler echocardiography was performed 506 times in order to estimate TG in 227 consecutive patients with SSc. The value of biochemical markers for predicting TG levels and development was assessed through analyses of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (proBNP), calcitonin-gene related peptide, thrombomodulin and von Willebrand factor in 76 patients with a borderline increase in TG, defined as TG 24–38 mmHg, and for the purpose of comparison also in 10 patients with a normal TG (<23 mmHg) and in 10 patients with increased TG (TG > 38 mmHg).
Results. TG >23 mmHg was found in 102 patients (44.9%) at the first assessment point and in 139 patients (61.2%) respectively, cumulatively at follow-up. TG values >33 mmHg were measured in 24 patients (10.6%) initially and in 38 patients (16.7%) cumulatively in a subsequent assessment. Age and the presence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) were associated with more frequent occurrence of TG >23 and >33 mmHg initially and at follow-up, but were not associated with progression rate. The change in TG (mean ± S.D.) was 1.34 ± 4.55 mmHg/yr. ProBNP correlated to TG.
Conclusion. An increased TG, indicating possible PAH, is common and progressive in SSc. Age and ILD increase the risk of increased TG. Patients with or without ILD have similar progression of TG. ProBNP has potential as an adjunct to TG in selecting patients eligible for invasive treatment.
KEY WORDS: Systemic sclerosis, Tricuspid gradient, Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure, Pulmonary arterial hypertension, ProBNP
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