Background Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is a microcirculatory disorder characterised by deficient endothelial activity. Such endothelial dysfunction should be responsible for reduced release of NO, a potent vasodilatory agent. Since the cell function is dependent on energy production, it is though deficient endothelial activity could be due to the loss of energy production probably secondary to a low availability of Carnitine, an important cell metabolic carrier.

Objectives To conduct a preliminary evaluation of the serum Carnitine concentrations in primary RP patients (pRP pts.) compared to age- and sex-matched controls.

Methods After verbal consent, 17 consecutive pRP pts (16 female, mean age 32.1 ± 11.3 yrs) and ten control subjects (9 female, mean age 34 ± 11 yrs) were enrolled for this study. Patients had to have a RP history no longer than 5 years. After acclimatisation, each subject underwent a venous blood drawing from same vessel at baseline and after a 5-minute cold-water test. All blood samples were stored ?20°C. Then, Carnitine was measured in collected sera by enzymatic assay (SIGMA-TAU pharmaceuticals). T-test for paired data was used for statistical analysis.

Results Table 1 showed the mean values of serum Carnitine concentrations in two studied groups. After test, serum Carnitine concentration increased in 12/17 pRP patients and lowered in the remainders. Contrary, in the control group circulating Carnitine increased significantly after provocative test.

Conclusion Lower circulating Carnitine titres in our pRP pts could be associated with diminished availability of Carnitine in endothelial cells and consequently with their impaired activity. Although this study is preliminary, our results suggest Carnitine supplementation for promotion of endothelial activity in pRP pts may be worth investigating, particularly in RP subjects unresponsive to conventional treatments.