Relation of nailfold capillaries and autoantibodies to mortality in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon: a retrospective analysis.
M, M., ME, G., H, K., T, P., S, Z., S, B.Z., S, S., & O, S. (2026). Relation of nailfold capillaries and autoantibodies to mortality in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon: a retrospective analysis.. Rheumatology international. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-026-06261-7
M M, ME G, H K, T P, S Z, S BZ, et al. Relation of nailfold capillaries and autoantibodies to mortality in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon: a retrospective analysis.. Rheumatology international. 2026; doi: 10.1007/s00296-026-06261-7
M M, ME G, H K, et al. Relation of nailfold capillaries and autoantibodies to mortality in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon: a retrospective analysis.[J]. Rheumatology international. 2026. DOI: 10.1007/s00296-026-06261-7.
@article{m2026,
author = {Müller M and Gschwandtner ME and Kiener H and Perkmann T and Zehetmayer S and Brunner-Ziegler S and Steiner S and Schlager O},
title = {Relation of nailfold capillaries and autoantibodies to mortality in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon: a retrospective analysis.},
journal = {Rheumatology international},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1007/s00296-026-06261-7},
note = {PMID: 42550247},
}
TY - JOUR AU - Müller M AU - Gschwandtner ME AU - Kiener H AU - Perkmann T AU - Zehetmayer S AU - Brunner-Ziegler S AU - Steiner S AU - Schlager O TI - Relation of nailfold capillaries and autoantibodies to mortality in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon: a retrospective analysis. T2 - Rheumatology international PY - 2026 DO - 10.1007/s00296-026-06261-7 AN - PMID:42550247 ER -
The presence of abnormal nailfold capillaries and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) is associated with increased all-cause mortality in patients presenting with incipient Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). We conducted a retrospective analysis aiming to assess the association between abnormal nailfold capillaries, ANA, and mortality over a 20-year follow-up period. In 2958 patients with incipient RP without previously known connective tissue disease, nailfold capillaroscopies and laboratory tests for ANA and ANA-subsets were obtained. Of these, long-term follow-up data were available for 2922 patients. Over a median follow-up period of 23 (IQR 20.2-25.2) years, 832 patients died, of which 562 were women (25% of female patients) and 270 were men (41% of male patients). Compared to a demographically matched reference population, mortality was increased in female and male patients with RP (log-rank test < 0.001). In female patients with RP, the presence of ANA, anti-Scl-70 antibodies, and a grouping variable consisting of giant capillaries, reduced capillary density, and avascular fields was associated with an increase in all-cause mortality. The highest mortality was observed in patients presenting both abnormal nailfold capillaries and ANA. In the long-term, an excess mortality persists in patients with RP. Our study demonstrates prognostic associations between abnormal nailfold capillaries as well as ANA and mortality.