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The following is a summary of “Nailfold videocapillaroscopy findings correlate with lung outcomes in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies-related interstitial lung disease,” published in the December 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Santos et al.
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) often lead to interstitial lung disease (ILD), increasing morbidity and mortality. Krebs von den Lungen-6 (sKL-6) and Nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) may aid in diagnosing and assessing ILD severity.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the link between NVC abnormalities, sKL-6 levels, and lung outcomes in patients with IIM.
They analyzed 100 patients with IIM, comparing ILD and non-ILD groups. Data included demographics, clinical features, pulmonary tests, sKL-6 levels, and NVC findings. They used Spearman’s correlation for relationships and logistic regression to identify ILD predictors.
The results showed that among 95 patients (34% male, median age 55.3 ± 24 years, disease duration 6.8 ± 7 years), ILD was linked to avascular zones (P=0.004), capillary loss (P=0.04), and microhemorrhages (P=0.04). Capillary loss and enlarged capillaries negatively correlated with %FVC (rs=-0.46, P=0.001; rs=-0.57, P<0.0001) and %DLCO (rs=-0.32, P=0.04; rs=-0.23, P=0.03). sKL-6 levels positively correlated with ILD (rs=0.77, P=0.0004), microhemorrhages (rs=0.21, P=0.04), avascular areas (rs=0.64, P=0.03), and negatively with %FVC (rs=-0.47, P=0.001) and %DLCO (rs=-0.59, P=0.005). Predictors included male sex, respiratory symptoms, %FVC, %DLCO, sKL-6, anti-Jo1, and NVC abnormalities.
Investigators found NVC findings, sKL-6 levels, and autoantibodies useful for identifying and managing ILD in IIM.
Source: academic.oup.com/rheumatology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/rheumatology/keae669/7920412
