Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2025
05:06
Non-Invasive Visualization of Nailbed Microvascular Morphology in Mice Using Capillaroscopy
Published on: February 28, 2025
327
Microvascular damage evaluation based on nailfold videocapillarosopy in sarcoidosis
Şerife Şeyda Zengin Acemoğlu1, İpek Türk2, Mehmet Ali Aşık2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey. drseyda6031@gmail.com.
Clinical Rheumatology
|March 25, 2023
Summary
Nailfold capillaroscopy (NVC) reveals distinct microvascular changes in sarcoidosis patients, including increased tortuosity and crossing capillaries. These nonspecific findings may indicate microvascular damage and correlate with lung function, suggesting NVC’s value in assessing sarcoidosis lung injury.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology and Immunology
- Pulmonology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Microvascular damage is implicated in sarcoidosis pathogenesis.
- Nailfold capillaroscopy (NVC) is a non-invasive technique to visualize microvasculature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate NVC patterns for microvascular changes in sarcoidosis.
- To correlate capillaroscopic findings with clinical variables and disease measurements.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional case-control study included 42 sarcoidosis patients, 42 systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, and healthy controls.
- Digital microscopy at 200x magnification assessed capillary density, dilation, giant capillaries, neoangiogenesis, loop diameter, shape, microhemorrhages, and avascular areas.
- An assessor blinded to group allocation evaluated the NVC parameters.
Main Results:
- Sarcoidosis patients showed significantly higher rates of tortuosity and crossing capillaries compared to SSc and healthy controls (p < 0.05).
- Dilated capillaries and neoangiogenesis were observed in sarcoidosis but not significantly different from controls.
- Lower forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was associated with a higher rate of crossing capillaries (>50%) in sarcoidosis patients (p=0.04).
Conclusions:
- Sarcoidosis patients exhibit unique, albeit nonspecific, capillaroscopic patterns.
- These abnormal NVC findings may reflect underlying microvascular damage in sarcoidosis.
- Nailfold capillaroscopy could be a valuable tool for assessing lung injury in sarcoidosis.
