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Pupillocynetic Activity of Substance P in
Systemic Sclerosis
ANGELA DEL ROSSO, LUCA BERTINOTTI, UMBERTO PIETRINI, ANDREA MESSORI, MARCELLO FANCIULLACCI, ROBERTO CASALE, ROBERTO GIACOMELLI, SERGIO GENERINI, RICCARDO SICUTERI, ALBERTO PIGNONE, FRANCO COZZI, and MARCO MATUCCI-CERINIC
ABSTRACT. Methods. Forty SSc patients [24 with limited (lSSc), 16 with diffuse (dSSc) disease] and 40 controls underwent pupillometric evaluation. After evaluation of PBD, SP 10-3 M was instilled in one eye and placebo in the contralateral eye. Antinuclear (ANA), anticentromere (ACA), and anti-Scl-70 autoantibodies were correlated with PBD and AUC.
Results. PBD was significantly lower in SSc patients versus controls (p < 0.001). PBD was minor in lSSc versus both dSSc and controls (p < 0.05), but no difference was found between dSSc and controls. In SSc, SP 10-3 M induced greater myosis compared to controls (p < 0.001). SP 10-3 Conclusion. Our results show that PBD is reduced in patients with SSc and that SP induces a more intense myosis in SSc than controls. Moreover, in lSSc PBD is lower and SP increases the myosis in lSSc compared to dSSc and controls. This suggests a peculiar dysfunction of PNS in patients with the limited subset of SSc. (J Rheumatol 2003;30:1231-7) Key Indexing Terms:
SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS
From the Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Headache, and Nephrology, University of Florence; Drugs Information Center, Careggi Hospital, Florence; Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Institute of Montescano, Foundation "S. Maugeri," IRCCS, Pavia; Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila; and Division of Rheumatology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. A. Del Rosso, MD, PhD, Consultant in Rheumatology; L. Bertinotti, MD, Fellow in Rheumatology; U. Pietrini, MD, PhD, Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology; M. Fanciullacci, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacology; S. Generini, MD, PhD, Fellow in Rheumatology; R. Sicuteri, MD, PhD; A. Pignone, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; M. Matucci-Cerinic, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florence; A. Messori, MD, Consultant in Pharmacology, Drugs Information Center, Careggi Hospital; R. Casale, MD, PhD, Consultant in Neurology, Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Institute of Montescano; R. Giacomelli, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L'Aquila; F. Cozzi, MD, Assistant Professor of Rheumatology, Division of Rheumatology, University of Padua. Address reprint requests to Dr. M. Matucci Cerinic, Department of Medicine, Villa Monna Tessa, Section of Rheumatology, Headache, and Nephrology, Viale G. Pieraccini 18, 50139 Florence, Italy. E-mail: cerinic@unifi.it Submitted June 7, 2002; revision accepted November 5, 2002. |