FINGER SKIN TEMPERATURE IN PATIENTS AFFECTED BY RAYNAUDS-PHENOMENON WITH OR WITHOUT ANTICENTROMERE ANTIBODY POSITIVITY

We evaluated finger skin temperature in 36 patients affected by Raynau d's phenomenon with or without anticentromere antibody positivity. The temperature measured under basal conditions and after dipping the fin ger in water at 10 degrees C for 5 min was similar in both groups; the temperature at the end of an 18-min recovery period was significantly lower in anticentromere antibody positive patients. This observation suggests a persistent digital vasospasm after the cold test in patient s suffering from Raynaud's phenomenon with anticentromere antibody pos itivity. This autoantibody seems to identify a subgroup of patients af fected by Raynaud's phenomenon with a severe involvement of the microc irculation.