Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026
A Methodological Approach to Non-invasive Assessments of Vascular Function and Morphology
Published on: February 7, 2015
Automated Measurement of Microvascular Function Reveals Dysfunction in Systemic Sclerosis: A Cross-sectional Study
Daniel R Machin1,2, Phillip E Gates1,2, Hans Vink1,2
1From the University of Utah, Department of Internal Medicine, and the Department of Exercise and Sport Science, and the Department of Biochemistry; VA Salt Lake City, Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Maastricht University, Department of Physiology, Maastricht, the Netherlands; MicroVascular Health Solutions LLC, Alpine, Utah, USA.
Automated analysis of sublingual microvessels revealed structural and functional differences in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). These findings suggest a dysfunctional glycocalyx contributes to SSc microvascular abnormalities.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Rheumatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by microvascular dysfunction.
- Assessing microvascular changes in SSc is crucial for understanding disease pathogenesis and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of an automated capture and analysis system for detecting microvascular alterations in SSc patients.
- To compare sublingual microvessel structure and function between SSc patients and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Intravital microscopy was employed to capture and automatically analyze sublingual microcirculation in 40 SSc patients and 10 healthy controls.
- Key parameters assessed included microvascular density, red blood cell (RBC) fraction, and perfused boundary region (PBR).
Main Results:
- Patients with SSc exhibited significantly lower total and perfused microvascular density compared to controls.
- A reduced RBC fraction and an increased PBR were observed in SSc patients, indicating impaired microvascular function and a dysfunctional endothelial glycocalyx.
- PBR showed a strong inverse association with both perfused microvascular density and RBC fraction.
Conclusions:
- Automated analysis of sublingual microvessels provides objective, detailed data for distinguishing SSc patients from controls.
- Microvascular abnormalities in SSc may be partly attributed to endothelial glycocalyx dysfunction.
