Characteristics of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis and Anticentriole Autoantibodies

Abstract

Anticentriole autoantibodies-positive systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been reported to develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) at a high rate. In this report, we describe two patients with anticentriole antibodies-positive SSc-PAH who were treated with pulmonary vasodilators. Both cases were elderly women with poor physical conditions and clinical findings of SSc. Case 1 was resistant to combination therapy with pulmonary vasodilators; in Case 2, hemodynamic improvement was obtained by upfront combination therapy at an early stage. Because anticentriole antibodies-positive SSc-PAH rapidly deteriorates, careful hemodynamic observation and timely aggressive use of pulmonary vasodilators should be considered.