In systemic sclerosis TAPSE/sPAP ratio is correlated with ventilatory efficiency and exercise capacity assessed by CPET

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters and right ventricular echocardiographic parameters for pulmonary arterial hypertension screening in a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. Methods forty SSc patients were examined using CPET and resting transthoracic echocardiography. CPET parameters analyzed were minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max); echocardiographic parameters were systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and TAPSE/sPAP ratio. Results a positive correlation was observed between VE/VCO2 slope and age (r = 0.415, p < 0.01) and sPAP (r = 0.461, p < 0.01), conversely, a negative correlation was found between VE/VCO2 slope and TASPE/sPAP ratio (r = − 0.521, p = 0.001). VO2 max showed an inverse correlation with age (r = − 0.367, p < 0.05) and sPAP (r = − 0.387, p < 0.05) and a positive correlation with TAPSE/sPAP ratio (r = 0.521, p < 0.01). On stepwise linear regression analysis, VE/VCO2 slope was significantly correlated with TAPSE/sPAP ratio (β coefficient = − 0.570; p < 0.0001), as well as VO2 max was significantly correlated with TAPSE/sPAP ratio (β coefficient = 0.518; p = 0.001). Conclusion in SSc patients, TAPSE/sPAP ratio is the echocardiographic parameter of RV function which showed the best correlation with ventilatory efficiency and exercise capacity.