Introduction:

Systemic sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune connective tissue disease of unknown cause, which produces excess collagen causing fibrosis in the skin, affecting internal organs. Common antibodies are antitopoisomerase 1 and anticentromere. The clinical forms are diffuse cutaneous and limited cutaneous. The prevalence of cardiac involvement varies between 8-28% and in late stages the presence of cardiovascular signs and symptoms have poor prognosis and one of the main causes of mortality.

Objective:

To determine the association between cardiac involvement and clinical forms, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and autoantibodies in SSc.

Methods:

A cross-sectional descriptive study of a universe of 140 patients was carried out. Fifty four patients made up the sample. An echocardiogram, NT-proBNP, Anti-scl 70, anticentromere levels and determination of clinical forms were performed on all patients who met the inclusion criteria and who were treated at Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital in Havana, Cuba, from July 2016 to December 2017.

Results: The mean age was 51.76 ± 12.82. Female sex accounted 96.3%. 72.2% were white skinned. Cardiac involvement of EScd was 77.5%, NT-proBNP hormone had high levels in 55.0%. Anti-scl-70 were negative in 70% (n=28) of patients with cardiac involvement. Anti-centromere (ACT) was negative in 95.0% (n=38).

Conclusions:

Cardiac involvement in patients with SS is independent of the clinical forms and the presence of autoantibodies. Patients with elevated NT-proBNP serum levels had cardiac involvement.

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