N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in a novel screening algorithm for pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis: a case-control study

Table 1 Comparison of clinical characteristics of patients in each group

Characteristics	Group 1 PAH	Group 2 At risk	Group 3 ILD	Group 4 Controls	Pvalue
Number (n)	15	30	19	30	N/A
Age at onset (years)	44.5 ± 12.9	51.5 ± 14.8	40.3 ± 15.6	40.6 ± 13.2	0.015^a
Age at study (years)	63.3 ± 10.5	66.0 ± 11.8	51.1 ± 12.7	48.7 ± 10.1	< 0.0001^b
Disease duration (years)	18.8 ± 13.5	14.5 ± 10.4	10.8 ± 7.9	7.8 ± 7.2	0.003^c
Female, n (%)	12 (80)	25 (83)	14 (74)	30 (100)	0.04
Male, n (%)	3 (20)	5 (17)	5 (26)	0
Limited (n)	13	28	6	23	< 0.0001^d
Diffuse (n)	2	2	13	7
ANA, n	14	27	17	30	0.43
Anti-Scl70, n	1	3	10	5	0.001^e
Anti-cent, n	7	21	0	16	< 0.0001^f
WHO FC
-I	0	5	0	25	N/A
-II	2	11	12	5
-III	11	14	6	0
-IV	2	0	1	0

Dis. Duration, disease duration; PAH, pulmonary arterial hypertension; WHO FC, World Health Organisation Functional Class; ANA, anti-nuclear antibody; anti-Scl70, anti- topoisomerase-1 antibody; anti-cent, anti-centromere antibody. ^aOlder age at SSc onset in at-risk group versus other groups. ^bOlder age at time of study in PAH group and at-risk groups versus others. ^cLonger disease duration at time of study in PAH group versus controls. ^dHigher proportion of patients with limited subtype in all groups except ILD. ^eHigher proportion of Scl-70-positive patients in ILD than other groups. ^fHigher proportion of centromere-positive patients in all groups compared with ILD.

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