PMC:3774956 / 6130-8425
Annnotations
{"target":"https://pubannotation.org/docs/sourcedb/PMC/sourceid/3774956","sourcedb":"PMC","sourceid":"3774956","source_url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/3774956","text":"2.1. Patient Selection\nWe evaluated patients diagnosed with SSc who were followed for a period of 3 years (2008–2011) in the Rheumatology Department at the University of Campinas Teaching Hospital, a tertiary referral hospital located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The clinical data on the patients, who were all unrelated ethnically, were obtained through a records review. \nThis study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Campinas State University. The patients provided informed consent.\nThe SSc diagnosis was based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for SSc [10]. Patients under 18 years old and with overlap syndrome were excluded. All patients were evaluated for gender, visceral involvement, and laboratory test results and underwent a routine rheumatology examination. They were classified according to cutaneous involvement as having the diffuse, limited, or sine scleroderma forms. Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement, PF, and PAH were the visceral involvements that were considered. Limited disease was defined as definite skin thickening confined to the distal extremities, whereas diffuse disease showed the additional involvement of the skin proximal to the knees and elbows. The sine scleroderma form was defined according to established criteria [32, 33].\nThe presence and pattern of the antinuclear antibody (ANA) were also evaluated. \nGI tract involvement was confirmed by imaging studies (contrast radiography, esophageal emptying scintillography, and intestinal transit) and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. PAH was defined when the right ventricular pressure was higher than 40 mmHg by Doppler echocardiogram. The alteration in the systolic pulmonary artery, as it is an examiner-dependent result, was confirmed with another echocardiogram after a minimum interval of two months. When possible, these patients underwent confirmatory cardiac catheterism (medium pulmonary arterial pressure ≥ 25 mmHg) [34]. PF was investigated by pulmonary function testing and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and was diagnosed when the forced vital capacity or total lung capacity (TLC) was less than 70% of the predicted value. The main CT findings were hyperdense pulmonary nodules, ground glass, reticular opacities, and traction bronchiectasis [35].","divisions":[{"label":"Title","span":{"begin":0,"end":22}}],"tracks":[{"project":"2_test","denotations":[{"id":"24167351-19884273-25764044","span":{"begin":591,"end":593},"obj":"19884273"},{"id":"24167351-3361530-25764045","span":{"begin":1289,"end":1291},"obj":"3361530"},{"id":"24167351-10693887-25764046","span":{"begin":1293,"end":1295},"obj":"10693887"},{"id":"24167351-15658881-25764047","span":{"begin":1949,"end":1951},"obj":"15658881"},{"id":"24167351-1892314-25764048","span":{"begin":2291,"end":2293},"obj":"1892314"}],"attributes":[{"subj":"24167351-19884273-25764044","pred":"source","obj":"2_test"},{"subj":"24167351-3361530-25764045","pred":"source","obj":"2_test"},{"subj":"24167351-10693887-25764046","pred":"source","obj":"2_test"},{"subj":"24167351-15658881-25764047","pred":"source","obj":"2_test"},{"subj":"24167351-1892314-25764048","pred":"source","obj":"2_test"}]}],"config":{"attribute types":[{"pred":"source","value type":"selection","values":[{"id":"2_test","color":"#ec93d5","default":true}]}]}}