The anticentromere antibody and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity in progressive systemic sclerosis

ABSTRACT

The authors studied the frequency and the clinical of ACA in 34 patients with PSS, 20 with inflammatory form and 14 with CREST variant. All of them were evaluated by ANA, ACA, pulmonary function study. Carbon monoxide diffusing capacity was studied in 19 patients. ACA occurred with a frequency of 50% in the group with non-inflammatory from and 20% in that with inflammatory form. However this difference wasn't statistically significant. Although patients with CREST syndrome and severe restrictive pulmonary disease were always ACA positive, there wasn't statistical significant correlation between ACA and pulmonary impairment evaluated by DLCO