Table 3 Comparison of pathological findings (grade 0/1/2/3) in patients with SSc-associated ILD
Characteristics | All subjects | Existence of pathological pulmonary emphysema | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes (p-PE with SSc-ILD) | No | |||
Lung parenchyma lesion | ||||
 Cellular infiltration | 0/9/9/3 | 0/8/5/3 | 0/1/4/0 | 0.589 |
 Lymphoid follicle with germinal center | 12/7/1/1 | 10/5/0/1 | 2/2/1/0 | 0.349 |
 Fibrosis | 0/2/14/5 | 0/1/12/3 | 0/1/2/2 | 0.728 |
 Honeycombing | 15/5/1/0 | 12/3/1/0 | 3/2/0/0 | 0.601 |
 Fibroblastic foci | 4/16/1/0 | 3/12/1/0 | 1/4/0/0 | 0.781 |
 Organizing pneumonia (intra-alveolar polyp) | 11/8/2/0 | 8/7/1/0 | 3/1/1/0 | 0.927 |
 Atelectasis (collapse) | 0/11/5/5 | 0/10/4/2 | 0/1/1/3 | 0.046* |
 Cyst formation | 14/5/2/0 | 11/3/2/0 | 3/2/0/0 | 0.882 |
 Emphysema | 5/12/4/0 | 0/12/4/0 | 5/0/0/0 | < 0.001* |
Pulmonary vascular change | ||||
 Muscular pulmonary artery | 8/7/6/0 | 4/7/5/0 | 4/0/1/0 | 0.105 |
  < none; grade 0/positive = grade 1–3> | 8/13 | 4/12 | 4/1 | 0.047* |
 Arteriole <positive> | 19 (90.5) | 15 (93.8) | 4 (80.0) | 0.311 |
 Venule <positive> | 18 (85.7) | 14 (87.5) | 4 (80.0) | > 0.999 |
 Interlobular vein <positive> | 17 (81.0) | 14 (87.5) | 3 (60.0) | 0.228 |