Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Background/aim: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by vascular disorders and fibrosis. This study aimed to compare pulmonary artery wall thickness (PAWT) in SSc patients without PAH with idiopathic PAH (IPAH) and healthy controls and to investigate the effect of increased PAWT and inflammation on vascular changes in SSc patients.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 60 SSc patients, 30 IPAH patients, and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, all of whom underwent echocardiographic evaluation. Data were analyzed including patient demographics, disease duration, type of skin involvement, lung involvement, and autoantibody status.
Results: PAWT was significantly increased in the SSc group compared to the control group. There is a strong correlation between PAWT and modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) and mRSS is an independent risk factor for increased PAWT. A correlation was also found between PAWT and echocardiographic parameters including systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP).
Conclusion: PAWT is elevated in SSc patients, potentially reflecting underlying inflammatory processes independent of PAH. Regular echocardiographic assessments, including PAWT measurement, may contribute to the understanding and management of vascular involvement in SSc.
Author ORCID Identifier
ELİF ALTUNEL KILINÇ: 0000-0003-2501-2473
HAYDAR ALİ CANDAN: 0009-0002-3291-2488
İPEK TÜRK: 0000-0001-5192-9045
ÇAĞLAR ÖZMEN: 0000-0002-7285-991X
DOI
10.55730/1300-0144.6011
Keywords
echocardiography, pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary artery wall thickness, pulmonary hypertension, rodnan skin score, Systemic Sclerosis
First Page
644
Last Page
651
Publisher
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
ALTUNEL KILINÇ, E, CANDAN, H, TÜRK, İ, & ÖZMEN, Ç (2025). PULMONARY ARTERY WALL THICKNESS AND SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS: INFLUENCE OF INFLAMMATION ON VASCULAR CHANGES. Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences 55 (3): 644-651. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.6011
