Observational studyRMD open2025
Multicentre retrospective detection of nailfold videocapillaroscopy abnormalities in long covid patients.
Observational study in RMD open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Vascular Complications of Long COVID-From Endothelial Dysfunction to Systemic Thrombosis: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- Microvascular health and frailty: nailfold capillaroscopy as a window into aging.European geriatric medicine · 2026Article
- Nailfold Videocapillaroscopy in Pediatric Rheumatology: Established Roles, Emerging Applications, and Future Perspectives.Balkan medical journal · 2026Review
- Microcirculatory impairment and increased arterial stiffness in pediatric Long COVID patients.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
22 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSARS-CoV-2 induces acute non-specific endothelial/microvascular alterations that have been identified by nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC). Details on NVC abnormalities in long covid (LC) patients (pts) are unknown.
methodsLC pts without and with systemic sclerosis (non-SSc-LC and SSc-LC), recovered COVID-19 (RC) pts that did not develop LC and healthy matched control subjects (CNT) that underwent NVC examinations were evaluated in a multicentre national study from the Capillaroscopy and Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases Study Group of the Italian Society of Rheumatology. Retrospective collection was performed for demographic data, course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, comorbidities, concomitant drugs. NVC alterations were quantified by validated scores. Pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 microvascular status was analysed by NVC.
results62 non-SSc-LC pts (49 female/13 male, 51±16 years old), 24 SSc-LC pts (21 female/3 male, 59±17 years old), 23 RC pts (18 female/5 male, 51±18 years old) and 84 CNT (68 female/16 male, 52±12 years old) were analysed. Non-SSc-LC pts showed significantly more dilated capillaries (p<0.01, p multivariate<0.01), microhaemorrhages (p=0.01, p multivariate<0.05), abnormal shapes (p<0.05, p multivariate<0.05) than CNT and of note, lower mean capillary number per linear millimetre (p<0.01, p multivariate<0.01) than both RC pts and CTN (p<0.01, p multivariate<0.05).Of highest interest, 16 non-SSc-LC pts showed statistically significantly more dilated capillaries (p<0.05) and microhaemorrhages (p<0.05) in NVC examinations after COVID-19, compared with pre-COVID-19 status.Similarly, SSc-LC pts (24) showed significantly lower capillary density (p=0.01) and more dilated capillaries (p<0.01) in NVC examinations after COVID-19, compared with pre-COVID-19 status.
conclusionsLC pts show more microvascular alterations at NVC as compared with RC patients and CNT, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of persistent organ/systems dysfunction.
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