Characteristics of patients with systemic sclerosis according to digital ulcer status. Categorical data are expressed as percentages; continuous data are mean ± SD.
| Patients with Prior or Current Digital Ulcers | Patients Never Affected by Digital Ulcers | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients, n | 317 | 282 | |
| Current digital ulcers, no. (%) | 74 (23) | – | – |
| Male, % | 21 | 11 | 0.0005 |
| Age, yrs | 53 ± 13 | 56 ± 13 | 0.004 |
| Occupational risks, % | 13 | 8 | 0.04 |
| Diffuse SSc, % | 32 | 23 | 0.02 |
| Delay between RP onset and first non-RP symptom, yrs | 6 ± 9 | 6 ± 9 | 0.39 |
| Time since first non-RP symptom onset, yrs | 8 ± 7 | 6 ± 6 | < 0.0001 |
| Age at first non-RP symptom onset | 44 ± 14 | 49 ± 14 | < 0.0001 |
| Never smoked, % | 63 | 73 | 0.009 |
| Current smoker, % | 13 | 11 | 0.63 |
| Tobacco consumption, pack/yr | 6 ± 13 | 5 ± 11 | 0.21 |
| Rodnan score | |||
| All | 15 ± 12 | 11 ± 9 | < 0.0001 |
| dcSSc | 28 ± 13 | 22 ± 11 | 0.007 |
| lcSSc | 10 ± 6 | 8 ± 5 | 0.0002 |
| Digital sclerosis score | |||
| All | 8 ± 3 | 6 ± 3 | < 0.0001 |
| dcSSc | 10 ± 3 | 7 ± 4 | < 0.0001 |
| lcSSc | 7 ± 3 | 5 ± 3 | < 0.0001 |
| PAH, % | 7 | 9 | 0.57 |
| TRV, mean ± SD m/s | 2.38 ± 0.38 | 2.38 ± 0.41 | 0.96 |
| DLCO < 60% predicted, % | 28 | 20 | 0.02 |
| TLC < 80% predicted, % | 17 | 13 | 0.26 |
| FVC < 80% predicted, % | 15 | 10 | 0.14 |
| Anti-topo I antibodies, % | 35 | 20 | 0.003 |
| Anticentromere antibodies, % | 42 | 55 | 0.007 |
* Exposure to silicates, solvents, glue, or resin;
† never-smokers assigned a consumption of zero. RP: Raynaud’s phenomenon; dcSSc: diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis; DLCO: lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide; lcSSc: limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis; TLC: total lung capacity; FVC: forced vital capacity; TRV: tricuspid regurgitation velocity.