Finger skin temperature in patients affected by Raynaud's phenomenon with or without anticentromere antibody positivity

We evaluated finger skin temperature in 36 patients affected by Raynaud's phenomenon with or without anticentromere antibody positivity. The temperature measured under basal conditions and after dipping the finger in water at 10 degree 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 patients suffering from Raynaud's phenomenon with anticentromere antibody positivity. This autoantibody seems to identify a subgroup of patients affected by Raynaud's phenomenon with a severe involvement of the microcirculation.