Table 1 Epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory and capillaroscopic features at presentation of early SSc and UCTD patients

Sex: F/M

38/1

36/1

ns

Age; years (median; range)

41 (17 to 73)

38 (18 to 71)

ns

RP duration; years (median; range)

3 (0.5 to 24)

4 (0.5 to 30)

ns

Puffy fingers

4

0

ns

Arthritis

0

4

0.05

ESR >20 mm/h

5

6

ns

Gammaglobulins >1.5 g/dl

3

2

ns

C3 <80 mg/dl or C4 <15 mg/dl

2

3

ns

ANA +

38 (97.4)

37 (100)

ns

ANA titre (median, range)

1:640

1:640

ns

SSc-marker antibodies +

(1:80 to 1:5,120)

(1:80 to 1:5,120)

< 0.0001

ACA +

36 (92.3)

0

< 0.0001

Anti-Scl-70 +

26 (66.7)

0

0.005

Anti-Th/To

8 (20.5)

0

ns

Anti-U1RNP

1 (2.6)

0

ns

1 (2.6)

0

NVC SSc pattern

23 (59)

0

< 0.0001

Megacapillaries + avascular areas

19 (48.7)

0

< 0.0001

Avascular areas or megacapillaries

4 (10.2)

0

ns

Smoking habit

17 (43.5)

13 (35.1)