OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of losartan for the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) secondary to systemic sclerosis. We also evaluated the biochemical abnormalities of the microcirculation using the cold stimulus-fingertip lacticemy test (CS-FTL), and the morphological alterations of the microcirculation, by nailfold capillaroscopy, before and after treatment as well as possible correlations with losartan action at the microvascular level. METHODS: In this open study we selected ten patients with systemic sclerosis diagnosis and Raynaud's phenomenon present on the selection. Seven patients received losartan 50 mg once a day and three received 100 mg once a day for four weeks. Patients were evaluated for drug efficacy by standard questionnaire on day 0 and at the end of weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4. Nailfold capillaroscopy and the CS-FTL test were performed at baseline and at the end of treatment. RESULTS: There was a reduction in the RP severity scale between weeks 0 and 4 (p=0.048). There was a reduction on pain visual analogic scale, number of RP episodes/day, and the duration of the RP episodes between the weeks 0 and 4, but this reduction did not reach statistical significance. Additionally there was no statistically significant change in nailfold capillaroscopy parameters and "FTL values between weeks 0 and 4. CONCLUSION: Losartan seems to have modest to moderate clinical benefit in RP secondary to SSc and induced no detectable modification in biochemical or morphological microcirculation parameters.
systemic sclerosis; Raynaud's phenomenon; nailfod capillaroscopy; lactate; losartan
