Clinical characteristics of patient population
| M/F, n | 44/8 |
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 56 (11) |
| Limited/diffuse cutaneous SSc, n | 32/20 |
| Anticentromere antibody, n (%) | 21 (40) |
| Anti-SCL 70 antibody, n (%) | 18 (34) |
| Mean (SD) disease duration since first non-Raynaud’s phenomenon (years) | 6.6 (6.1) |
| Mean (SD) disease duration since Raynaud’s phenomenon (years) | 11.2 (10.4) |
| Interstitial lung disease on HRCT, n (%) | 25 (48) |
| Precapillary pulmonary arterial hypertension by right heart catheterisation, n (%) | 12 (23) |
| Palpitations, n | 5 |
| Myositis* | 0 |
| Hypertension | 15 |
| Elevated serum cholesterol levels | 15 |
| Current smokers | 9 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 2 |
| Body mass index >27 kg/m2 | 5 |
| Mean (SD) inspiratory vital capacity (%) | 93 (15) |
| Mean (SD) total lung capacity (%) | 95 (14) |
| Mean (SD) Tlco (%) | 59 (25) |
| Current treatment, n | Calcium channel blockers (n = 15); angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (n = 15); bosentan (n = 12); sildenafil (n = 1) |
| Prednisone, n (mean (SD) dose in mg) | 19 (11 (6)) |
| Previous treatment by cyclophosphamide, n | 6 |
Data are mean (SD) or absolute number (%).
*Based on clinical data and creatine phosphokinase level.
HRCT, high-resolution CT of the chest; SSc, systemic sclerosis; Tlco, carbon monoxide transfer factor expressed as percentage of theoretical value.