Behçet Disease Activity Impacts HRQoL

Disease activity in Behçet syndrome (BD) was associated with a significant negative effect on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), according to findings published in Annals of Medicine and Surgery.

“BD is a systemic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown etiology, affecting vessels of different types, sizes, and locations, and characterized by recurrent episodes of acute inflammation, including mucocutaneous manifestations (oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, and skin lesions) and gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, neurological, ophthalmic, and vascular involvement, which lead to a significant morbidity and impaired HRQoL,” the researchers wrote.
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The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Rheumatology Unit of Baghdad Teaching Hospital in Medical City from July 2017 to January 2018. A total of 71 patients (n=45 men and n=26 women) with BD diagnosed according to the International Study Group criteria 1990 for BD were enrolled. BD activity was assessed using Behçet Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) and HRQoL was evaluated using the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Mean age of patients was 36.0 ± 10.8 years, with the majority (63.4%) being men. The mean age at onset of disease was 27.8 ± 10.3 years, while the mean disease duration since diagnosis was 5.1 ± 6.0 years and mean duration of symptoms was 8.3 ± 7.1 years.

BDCAF was significantly and negatively correlated with total SF-36 score (standardized β=-0.520; P<.0001). The mean BDCAF was significantly higher among women compared with men (6.154 ± 2.444 vs 4.467 ± 2.785, respectively; P=.012), while the mean SF-36 was significantly higher among men compared with women (57.722 ± 21.627 vs 41.435 ± 18.993, respectively; P=.002). Treatment with cyclosporine, infliximab, and adalimumab was associated with better HRQoL among patients (partial r=.256, P=.043; partial r=4.14, P=.001; partial r=.399, P=.001, respectively). However, the use of mycophenolate mofetil and disease duration was associated with lower HRQoL (partial r=-.250, P=.048 and partial r=-.295, P=0.19, respectively). Additionally, there was weak positive correlation between vascular involvement and total SF-36 score (partial r=.244, P=.053) and a negative weak correlation between the use of anticoagulant with total SF-36 score (partial r=−0.233, P=066).

“BD activity has a significant negative impact on HRQoL,” the researchers concluded. “This may suggest that treating activity of disease may improve HRQoL.”

 —Eileen Koutnik-Fotopoulos

Reference

Gorial FI, Jabbar MA. Impact of disease activity on health related quality of life in patients with Behçet’s disease: A cross-sectional study. Ann Med Surg (London). 2020;54:43-46. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2020.03.010