Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is an episodic peripheral circulatory disorder characterized by local artery spams in subjects exposed to cold or emotional stress. It is not well-established whether RP patients show an altered rheological profile, mostly due to patient classification and clinical severity. We aimed to compare the hemorheological profile in patients with primary and secondary RP with a healthy control group. Eighteen primary RP, 22 secondary RP and 22 healthy controls, were included in the study. RP patients were also divided according to the presence of digital ulcers (7 with, 33 without). Biochemical and hemorheological variables were analyzed, including glucose, triglycerides, total-cholesterol, immunoglobulins, fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation, erythrocyte deformability and blood viscosity. Age was higher in secondary RP as compared with primary (p = 0.049), while glucose, triglycerides IgA, IgG and plasma viscosity were higher in secondary RP than in healthy subjects (p < 0.05). RP patients with digital ulcers presented higher IgA (p = 0.012), lower erythrocyte aggregation time (p = 0.008) and a trend for higher fibrinogen levels and plasma viscosity (p = 0.064, p = 0.069, respectively). The results of the present study indicate that secondary RP patients show a mild impairment of the rheological profile that aggravates with microangiopathy severity.
Keywords: Raynaud's phenomenon; digital ulcers; hemorheology.