Abstract:

Li Bianbian, Zhang Gailian, Zhang Liyun, Gao Wenqin, Xu Ke, Yang Yanli, Yan Ming, Guo Qianyu, Ma Dan Graduate School of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China （Li BB）; Department of Rheumatology, Shanxi DaYi Hospital, Taiyuan 030032, China （Zhang GL, Zhang LY, Gao WQ, Xu K, Yang YL, Yan M, Guo QY, Ma D） Corresponding author: Zhang Gailian, Email: zgl1118@163.com 【Abstract】 Objective To retrospectively analyze clinical features of male patients with systemic sclerosis （SSc）. Methods Clinical data, laboratory findings and nailfold videocapillaroscopic （NVC） images were collected from 21 male and 56 female patients with SSc who visited Shanxi Dayi Hospital between November 2011 and July 2015. Results Male patients with SSc had significantly shorter disease duration than female patients （M ［P25 , P75］: 24［12, 60］ months vs. 48［25, 120］ months, P < 0.05）. There was a significant difference in subtype distribution of SSc between male and female patients （χ2 = 10.940, P = 0.004）, and most male patients suffered from diffuse cutaneous SSc （dcSSc）, while most female patients suffered from limited cutaneous SSc （lcSSc）. Raynaud′s phenomenon occurred less frequently as initial symptoms in male patients than in female patients, while the prevalence of skin hardening, cardiac dysfunction and renal involvement was higher in male patients than in female patients （all P < 0.05）. Male patients also had higher modified Rodnan skin scores （mRSS） than female patients, while Raynaud′s phenomenon occurred more frequently in female patients （both P < 0.05）. In addition, the positive rate of antinuclear antibodies was significantly higher in female patients than in male patients （96.3% vs. 72.2%, P < 0.05）. Semiquantitative analysis of NVC images showed that giant vascular loops were more common in female patients than in male patients （P < 0.05）. Conclusion Compared with female patients with SSc, male patients seem to have shorter disease duration, more rapid disease progression, higher prevalence of cardiac dysfunction, renal involvement and skin hardening, and are more likely to suffer from dcSSc.